


Black Silk

by Student_Disaster



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: British Character, F/M, First Meetings, Military, Original Character(s), Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:26:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 31,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23409007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Student_Disaster/pseuds/Student_Disaster
Summary: Sgt. Eddie Reid wasn’t one for distractions. Fitting in a normal life around an all-consuming job was difficult enough already. Sometimes though, distractions are warranted and necessary. Maybe even a chance for new opportunities.
Relationships: Scott Tracy/Eddie Reid, Scott Tracy/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all!!! I'm very very new to this (as in, this is my first fic ever...) so I really appreciate any feedback that I can get
> 
> This idea has been rolling around in my head for wayyyyyyy too long so I needed to get it down somewhere! Eddie and all the original characters are my own and any similarities with any other characters are not intentional :)
> 
> ~I don't own the Thunderbirds~
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

She walked into the room completely aware, scanning for anything and everything. They were here on a mission after all, undercover, and looking for a target. 

But this was unfamiliar territory. Put her in the middle of a warzone and she flourished. A ballroom? Not so much. She had to admit, it was nice to be in from the cold Edinburgh air. She wondered why Scotland was the favourable choice for an event like this.

“You ok?” Smith was by her side. His American charm perfectly suited this situation, the small smirk at the corner of his mouth showed he had done this plenty of times before.

“Fine” was all she could think to reply. No quips: this didn’t feel like the right time.  
She put her hand in the crook of his elbow and put on a game face.

The two of them made their way through the marble entrance and were greeted by a room full of people dressed far too fancily for either of their likings, shuffling between conversations that barely scratched the surface beyond general niceties. Jazz music filled the air and provided an even more sophisticated manner to the setting. 

“I’ll get us some drinks” and Smith was making his way towards the bar.

She turned and sauntered towards a table, sitting strategically with her back facing the wall, able to have a full view of the room. She straightened out the black silk dress that she was wearing and laced one leg over the other, slowly scanning the faces scattered around the room to identify their target.

“Eddie, a glass of the finest Pinot available to man” with a twinge of sarcasm draped across his face as Smith handed her a glass.

“Call me that again and you won’t be seeing the end of the night, Sebastian” she spat out, raising her eyebrows. A warning.

“Alright Sergeant; you prefer Mouse or Reid?” Sebastian teased, pulled out a chair next to her and sat down. 

Eddie subtly scowled back at him.

“Are you two done?” the comms in their ears made a reappearance. 

“Mhmm” Eddie replied, pressing the small button tucked under the neckline of her dress and took a small sip from the glass. This was definitely expensive wine.

“Ok, running the intel again. Location: Creighton-Ward fundraising banquet. Subject is a 36-year-old male, medium build, blonde hair…”

Eddie let the voice trail off and went about observation again. She knew what the target looked like, sounded like, hell, even some very personal details that she wished she didn’t know. While it was a long shot that he would be here tonight it was worth it. Even if they came across another member of the group that they could press for information it would be worth it. These were early days for the mission.

“Intel also suggests that he hasn’t returned from Berlin”. The tone across the comms changed from assertive to surprised; it was obviously the first anyone had heard of this. 

Smith shot a look towards Eddie and let out a small chuckle. 

“So, what you’re saying is that you’ve sent us out on a wild goose chase, sans goose?” Sebastian replied through the comms.

That warranted a chuckle from Eddie. She sat back in the chair, suddenly a lot more relaxed, and took another sip of wine. 

“We’re happy for you to stay for surveillance for an hour or so. Just let us know when you’re ready to come back to base”. It suddenly sounded a lot more active through the comms.

“We’ll be here, Michaels” Eddie whistled back.

It was until this moment that she had been blissfully unaware of anyone that may have been watching her. But now, with nothing else to distract from the moment, there seemed to be a glaringly obvious pair of blue eyes directly focussed on her.

Shifting in her seat she glanced over at Sebastian. He seemed to be enjoying the view as well. She traced his eyeline and found it locked on a tall blonde draped in a dark emerald dress. 

“Forget about civilised conversation then” she muttered to herself and rolled her eyes.

That seemed like the appropriate amount of time to leave between now and the last look at the stranger across the room.

Nope.

He was still staring.

And God, he was hot. 

Her eyes darted into her lap, suddenly shy. 

“Go and talk to him” Smith seemed to drag himself away from the blonde long enough to read the situation on the other side of the table. His eyes motioned in the direction of the stranger and mouthed ‘Go’. Ever the caring workmate and friend. 

“Now or never I guess” she whispered, leaning over towards Smith. With a slight touch of his hand on hers he resumed his previous ogling. 

Finishing the last of the wine in the glass, she stood up from the table and straightened out her dress. It had been a great choice from Rodriguez, another one of her workmates. When Colonel Michaels had suggested profiling a fundraising banquet to get towards the target, Eddie had realised that she had virtually no ‘formal wear’ besides the bridesmaid’s dress tucked under her bed at home which also happened to be a large distance away from where they were tonight. Rodriguez had disappeared for an hour or so at lunchtime today when the rest of the team were briefing tonight’s proceedings. When she returned, Eddie was whisked away and ushered into the locker room, paper bag in hand. 

Eddie had to admit she had forgotten what it felt like to wear a dress. It hugged her in all the right places. Mid-calf length black silk, almost skin-tight, plunging neckline looped over her shoulders with spaghetti straps. Paired with strappy stilettos and a single silver chain nipping at her collarbones. She had forgotten to take off her dog tags and was practically tackled by Rodriguez, who then replaced them with the necklace she had on now. Rodriguez had also helped her straighten her hair (strategically, to hide the earpiece) and add a touch of makeup to pull everything together. Eddie had to admit she felt very sophisticated. 

With that, she began walking towards the bar.

She felt his eyes follow her. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him move. Slowly, purposefully and towards her. 

Ushering for another glass of wine, she did everything she could to not look back, knowing that at any moment he would be right behind her.

And he was.

“Hi”


	2. Chapter 2

\- Scott’s POV - 

He’d had his eyes on her from the moment that she walked in. 

Not the kind he was used to seeing at these events, she was a breath of fresh air and a sight to be relished. Even though she was sitting on the other side of the room he had managed to memorise her entire appearance. 

Scott was standing, leaning somewhat casually against a marble column that ran up into the ceiling with Virgil in front of him.

“Dude, you’re going to burn a hole through her if you keep staring”. Virgil broke him out of the trance he was in.

“Right. Cheers.” Scott rolled his eyes at Virgil and ran his hand through his hair.

“Go and talk to her then” Virgil cooed, egging him on. It wasn’t often that they went to these events and Scott was often too caught up in formal conversations to speak to anyone other than investors or family friends, maybe this was a good chance to expand his horizons?

“Do you reckon that guy with her is her boyfriend?” Scott ignored Virgil’s suggestion and his eyes were back on her.

Virgil looked over to see her laugh at the man sitting across from her, who then went to looking directly at a woman in a green dress. 

Classy.

“Judging by the way he’s checking out the green dress over there, I’d have to say no. Something tells me he’s not simply appreciating the fabric”. Virgil replied, turning back to face Scott with a smirk on his face.

“That’s a positive” Scott mumbled, looking straight back at her. “Don’t want to corner her though, I’ll wait and see if she goes for another drink”.

All of a sudden, he caught her attention. Their eyes locked for a split second before she broke off, staring down at her lap. 

Damnit.

He watched as she exchanged a glance with the man across the table, finished the last sip of her wine and stood up, starting towards the bar. Somehow, she looked even better now than she had when she first walked in. Shoulder-length mousy brown hair lapped at her shoulders, and the dress accentuated her features perfectly.

“Now’s the time, little bro.” he whispered to Virgil who patted his shoulder as he walked past. 

Keeping his eyes locked on her, he too started towards the bar. If all else failed and she sped off, he would simply play it off as going to get himself and Virgil a drink. Brotherly love and all that. 

But no. Luckily, she stopped next to the bar, took a glass of wine and he was ready to make the next move.

What was the next move?

Oh right.

She turned.

“Hi” he started. 

“Hello” she grinned. 

Oh God, a British accent. That was definitely not what he was expecting. Her hazel eyes were wide, peering up towards him. Right. say something. 

“Scott, nice to meet you” grabbing a glass of wine as well. 

A small smile. Good.

“Eddie, same to you”. 

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, had he heard her right?

“Yes, that’s actually my name” she sensed the question that he had been about to ask and answered it before he got the chance. Here’s hoping he hadn’t put his foot in it before he had a chance at a proper conversation. “What brings you here tonight?” she followed. 

They both began to saunter slowly away from the bar.

“Networking mostly, nothing exciting” he suddenly realised that he couldn’t be too specific if he wanted to maintain confidentiality. Although, confessing that he piloted one of the most famous aircraft in the world would most likely win some brownie points in this situation. 

“Sounds like a riveting night” she joked, smirking. 

She had such beautiful, striking eyes, and a smile that made his heart seem to stop for just a moment. 

\- Eddie’s POV -  
By this point, they had arrived at a bar table. They both placed their glasses on the auburn tabletop. Scott leaning on the edge of the table with one arm, the other tucked into the pocket of his suit.

“What about yourself, what brings you here tonight?” he questioned.

Oh crap.  
She hadn’t thought this far ahead: she suddenly scrambled to put together an answer in her head that wouldn’t give up a level of information that could compromise their position. How much could she say without giving away that she was an elite military operative, undercover and here to detail a subject? This suddenly became most difficult than it should have been. 

“Much the same. Business and whatnot.” she said nonchalantly. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a pilot” he replied, taking a small sip of wine from his glass. 

Woah. Wasn’t expecting that one. 

She took a moment to take in his appearance again. An obviously tailored black suit, and a crisp white shirt paired with a dark navy tie tucked neatly into a Windsor knot. Tall, broad, handsome. Incredibly handsome. Putting the pieces together, it made sense that he would be in a job like that. 

“A pilot. The skies must be a wonderful place to work” she replied, raising her glass to her lips. 

“The important work happens on the ground” he leaned in towards her, curling the corner of his mouth ever so slightly.

Flirting - maybe? 

“So, what brings a pilot to a fundraising banquet?” 

“Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. Well, her father really. Their family is a big contributor to our operations so we make an effort to support their fundraising when we can” he answered. 

He leant back out comfortably, taking a moment to scan the room quickly. 

“We?” Eddie questioned; she hadn’t realised that he was here with someone else. Well, she hadn’t realised much about him until a few moments ago anyway. 

“My family” he added. “My brother and I drew the cards; we weren’t particularly excited to make an appearance tonight. But now, I think I might be the lucky one” he smirked.

Definitely flirting. 

“Virgil’s over there, enjoying pleasantries with the sophisticated folk” Scott teased, raising an eyebrow. He gestured towards another broad, rugged man wearing a suit similar to his own.

Talk about genetics.

“Anyway, you pretty much know my life story now. What about yourself? What do you do?” Scott lead.

Eddie ran through the scenarios in her head. No occupations that she could play off ‘knowing about’ enough to make it believable. Might as well tell the truth. 

Well, maybe not the whole truth.

“I’m in the military” she hesitated “Army”. 

“Really?” he seemed intrigued.

“No word of a lie”

“I used to be military as well, RAF” Scott followed.

Why was that not surprising either?

“British army?” Scott questioned

“Got it in one” Eddie replied, letting out a small laugh. “You said you used to be in the Air Force? How long ago?”

“A few years, I left to pursue my current job” he replied.

“So, flying was a logical choice. A true pilot at heart” Eddie smiled.

“Got it in one”

The conversation was broken by the chiming of a knife against a crystal wine glass, followed by a well-presented man in a grey suit waltzing onto the stage at the front of the room. 

Scott looked over at Eddie, who was studying the crowds shuffling towards the foreground of the ballroom.

“Thank you all for joining us tonight, we appreciate each of you taking the time from your busy schedule to attend this banquet” the man spoke eloquently, albeit a bit slow. “To address present company tonight, please join me in welcoming Lady Penelope Creighton Ward!”

The room erupted into cheers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that you are enjoying it!  
> It feels like it's progressing a bit slow at the moment so I might try and speed up the events a bit more next chapter. 
> 
> Please leave any feedback that you can - I would really appreciate it :)


	3. Chapter 3

\- Eddie’s POV – 

She looked stunning. Draped in a baby pink satin gown, her platinum blonde hair pinned into a low bun. 

Well versed in formal affairs from a lifetime of events such as this, she made sure to tick all the metaphorical boxes of thanking beneficiaries and members for their ongoing support, all while maintaining professionalism and a warm manner. 

At one point during her address, she made eye contact with Scott and paused, bearing a warm smile. He returned the gesture by smiling back at her with an acknowledging nod. Eddie looked over towards Scott, wondering what the relationship was between them besides business partners. She brushed off the thought. It was likely that they commonly came across each other if their companies were linked.

“Once again, thank you all for your continued support. Please enjoy the remainder of the night, the bar is still open” she finished by raising her wine glass towards the crowd. 

The room once again filled with gentle chatter and clinking of glasses.

“Have you been here before?” Scott started. Eddie had almost forgotten that she had been in conversation with Scott beforehand. 

“No, actually” she replied

“So, you won’t have seen the killer view from the landing?” Scott suggested, leaning towards her.

“Even at night?” 

“It’s even more spectacular at night” 

“Lead the way, then” and they were off towards the doors, abandoning the empty wine glasses on the tabletop.

Eddie took a moment to look back to see that Sebastian had left where he had sitting. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where he had gone, and it probably had a little something to do with a green dress. She rolled her eyes and continued behind Scott.

He was right

The view was incredible.

Twinkling lights scattered across the horizon, reaching as far as the eye could see. Fog lay luminously above the rooves of houses. They reached a cast iron fence, its lacy intricacies framing the lower edge of the picturesque scene, ripped straight from a fairy tale. It was unlike anything she’d seen before.

“Wow” she breathed

“Right? Never fails to take my breath away” Scott replied. 

She turned to face him, the warm glow of the lights reflecting on his skin and took a moment to fully appreciate the person in front of her once more. He smirked, noticing that she was looking, the corner of his mouth curling up and pronouncing the dimple in his cheek 

Wow

“Something about a skyline, huh?” Eddie posed, turning back to look at the night sky. “Can’t say I get to stop and appreciate the views very often”

“One of the best parts of flying if you ask me” he returned. “How long have you been in the army?” 

She noticed him shuffle closer to her, enough to feel his warmth radiating through the fabric of his suit. It made her shiver slightly, suddenly noticing the cool breeze that surrounded them.

“About six years, I went in straight from high school” she responded, hoping he didn’t notice her shiver.

He did. And now he was taking off his jacket. His muscular physique clearly noticeable underneath the crisp white shirt he was sporting. 

“Oh really, I’m fine” she assured him.

“Tell that to the hairs standing up on your arms” he teased, looking down at her.

He spun the jacket off of his shoulders and turned to face her, Eddie facing him as well. He placed it across her shoulders and stepped back, grinning. 

“What?” Eddie laughed, shrugging her shoulders to secure the jacket. She joined him with a smile.

“You’re just… really beautiful” he replied.

That made her smile even more.

“You’re not so bad yourself” she flirted, spinning back to lean on the iron fence.

He followed suit, leaning down a significantly larger distance to reach the fence, their arms lightly touching one another. They both stood for a moment, enjoying the view and company. Eddie breathed in, savouring the faint musky scent that wafted from the jacket. It was intoxicating. 

A million thoughts raced through her mind. Why tonight? Why her? What’s next?

All thoughts scattered, broken by his hand placed lightly on the top of hers, heat practically pouring off of his skin, bare against hers.

Again, wow. 

\- Scott’s POV – 

Hoping this was the right move, he gently lay his hand over hers. She turned over her hand so his was on the palm of hers and laced her fingers into the spaces between his. Her hands were delicate and sensitive, but strong.

Turning to face her again, they locked eyes, rich hazel meeting glacial blue.

“About that view then” he breathed into the space between them

“About that” she replied.

Now or never.

Scott leaned in, closing the gap between their bodies, dropping her hand and snaking his down her side, stopping at her hip. His other hand reached up and cupped her jaw, pulling her towards him. He felt her loop her arms over his shoulders, the jacket falling from her back and landing softly on the tiles they were standing on. As the gap between them became smaller he hesitated for a second, allowing her the option to pull away if this wasn’t the right direction.

She didn’t.

Taking the chance, he closed the last space between their lips and placed his gently upon hers. 

He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her breath on his top lip, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled.

He gently nipped at her bottom lip, hands moving to both meet at her spine, tracing up to meet the exposed skin left open between her shoulder blades. He felt the skin tighten underneath his fingers.

Her hand ran from his shoulder up past the nape of his neck, fingers loosely running through the back of his hair. 

A small hum escaped his lips and threaded into hers, and he felt her smile.

Tracing his hands back to her waist he pulled away, immediately missing the contact between them. He opened his eyes and met hers, pleasantly surprised by the grin spread across her face.

“Ok?” he asked

“More than ok” she replied, her hands still clasped behind his head. “Your jacket!” suddenly remembering the garment discarded in the moment, letting go of her hands to lean down and pick it up carefully. He noticed her toned shoulders were well defined and noticeably strong in the moonlight.

Definitely military.

“Sorry” she apologised, meeting his gaze again, handing him the jacket.

“Don’t be” and draped it back around her just as before.

This time he spun her around to face the skyline, closing in behind her. He wrapped his arms over her shoulders and clasped his hands in front of her. He placed his chin on the top of her head and took a deep breath in, revelling in the moment. 

The view seemed to be even more beautiful.

He just about collapsed when the door behind them swung open.

“Thought I’d find you out here” Virgil announced.


	4. Chapter 4

\- Scott’s POV – 

Shoot.

He knew that eventually Virgil would come looking for him. He’s probably gotten sick of polite conversation and was ready to go home. 

Scott wasn’t.

He dropped his arms from in front of Eddie, spinning round to meet Virgil.

Scott cleared his throat. “Hey Virg”.

Virgil’s gaze shifted from Scott to Eddie, the mystery girl who had been cuddled up next to his brother, still wearing his jacket draped over her shoulders. He cocked his head slightly, caught off guard.

He obviously hadn’t seen them a few moments ago.

“Oh, sorry man” Virgil started, suddenly acutely aware of the situation he had walked into.

“It’s ok” he hesitated “Uh… this is Eddie” Scott replied, looking down to meet her eyes. She had turned around was facing Virgil as well.

“Hi Virgil, it’s really nice to meet you” Eddie chirped, extending her hand to greet him. 

He reciprocated the handshake warmly, raising his eyebrows in surprise at the firmness of her grip. 

“Same to you, Eddie. I apologise for interrupting you both” he replied.

“No problem, Scott was showing me the view. It’s really something.” she looked back at the skyline once more before turning back to the conversation.

Scott shot a quick glare towards Virgil, conveying the message clearly: get your point across or get lost.

“Uh, I was just checking to see when you’d be ready to go. Lady P’s conversation is lovely but it’s getting late” he responded.

Scott flicked up his wrist and saw the time displayed on his watch. 22.45.

Virgil was right, it was late.

“Give us a few minutes, I’ll come inside in a bit” Scott stated

“Alright, nice to meet you” he smiled at Eddie and turned, walking back into the ballroom.

Scott closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. It had to be something didn’t it?

When he turned back, Eddie had turned as well, leaning softly against the iron fence.   
“So, that’s Virgil” Scott said, running a hand through his hair.

“He seems really nice” Eddie acknowledged. “How many brothers do you have?”

“4 others, I’m the oldest” 

Eddie’s eyes widened 

“5 boys? That sounds like a mission” she remarked.

“You have no idea” he replied with a laugh, seeing the irony in her sentence.

“This has been a great night, Scott” Eddie was facing him again, the lights from the city reflecting in the whites of her eyes. She placed her hand gently on his forearm, both of them savouring the moment of innocent touch.

“It has. Thank you” he whispered

She squinted at him “Thank you?” 

“For just being you” he responded, leaning in towards her and taking the opportunity for another kiss. This one more purposeful but just as soft.

She smiled, feeling the corners of her lips pull away from his, causing him to join her with a grin. They pulled apart, but lingered, close enough to feel each other’s breath idly sweeping over their lips. 

He reached for his pocket, pulling out his phone. He tapped the screen a few times to access the contacts folder and then passed it to Eddie. 

“If it’s not too forward” he grinned.

She only rolled her eyes, taking his phone and starting to type. He kept his eyes locked on her, contemplating when (or if) they would see each other again.

“You know I can feel you staring, right?” she jeered, sent him an amused look and handed him back his phone.

“Can’t help it” he teased.

He immediately sent a text to her number and smiled when he heard a cheerful ‘ding’ come from her handbag. 

“Anytime you want to talk, you have my number” he whispered sincerely.

“Shall do” she smiled.

\- Eddie’s POV – 

She suddenly remembered that she was wearing his jacket. She tugged at the notches of the shoulders and walked around behind him, helping his arms into the sleeves and securing it on his back. 

Still incredibly attractive

“Warm” he remarked “Do you have a way home?”

Caring too.

“Yes, I’m sorted. Thank you” she replied.

“Come on then, you’ll get cold again” Scott jeered

Eddie stuck out the tip of her tongue at him and followed him through the doors.

There were significantly less people in the ballroom, mostly those who had already collected their coats and personal effects and were on their way out the door. A stark comparison to the floods of people that crowded the room earlier.

Virgil spotted them as they neared where he was sitting, engaged in light conversation with Lady Penelope. He looked very glad to see the two of them.

“Ready to go, Scooter?” he started.

Scott shot him a deathly glare and Virgil chuckled. Eddie joined Virgil with a light laugh and wondered the connotations around the name. Another time perhaps.

“Have you met Lady Penelope?” Scott diverted the conversation before anyone got the chance to address the nickname.

“No, it’s lovely to meet you” Eddie extended a warm smile to her

“This is… Eddie? Sorry, I can’t quite remember” Virgil looked apologetic.

“Eddie” she affirmed, nodding.

“Lovely to meet you my dear. I see you’re well acquainted with the Tracy boys” she stated. Eddie was surprised that she spoke the same as she had on stage earlier. Also slightly embarrassed that she may have caught on to what she and Scott had been up to on the landing. 

“Scott had shown me the beautiful view outside, it’s absolutely stunning” Eddie replied.

“He does have an eye for beauty” Lady Penelope glanced at Scott, who was still noticeably caught up with staring at Eddie. “I’ll let you boys go, have a safe trip home”

She farewelled the group and sauntered towards the exit of the ballroom. She seemed to glide over the floor and Eddie wondered how long she had been on her feet in those heels.

“Thank you both for a wonderful night” Eddie said.

“Same to you, I’ll see you again” Scott replied hopefully, leaning down to give her a light kiss on the cheek.

“Nice to meet you” Virgil chimed, and they were off in the same direction as the rest of the guests. 

Eddie turned and walked towards one of the walls of the ballroom. How exactly was she getting back?

She took her phone out of her handbag and held it up to her ear as if she had received a call, simultaneously pressing her comms button under the neckline of her dress. She was still undercover after all.

“Base, it’s all finished here. I’m ready to head home and I assume that Smith has made his own arrangements?” she spoke, making the dig at Sebastian. 

“Affirmative Sergeant, Smith called in not long after we spoke the first time”

Wow he does work fast.

“Pick up outside the main doors at 2305. Base out” and the line went silent.

Eddie took a moment to check the time on her phone. 2302. Good, they weren’t far away.

The next thing that caught her eye was the text message on the screen. She read it through slowly, a grin spreading across her face.

‘The skyline’s beauty has nothing on you. Talk soon. Scott’


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit different to the TAG universe as they're using cellphones but I thought it fit the story a bit more. Apologies for any other discrepancies!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter

\- Eddie’s POV - 

It had been three months since the gala.

They texted often. It was difficult as she was rarely in an area that she carried a cell phone or had reception so replying timely was a challenge. Scott was also in a difficult position as he was flying most of the time. So, she understood that they couldn’t talk through voice, settling with occasional texts. 

Which was nice. Really nice. 

He always asked her how her day was, made jokes and never intruded on what she was doing. It was refreshing to have someone outside of the military to have a genuine and caring conversation with.

\- Scott’s POV – 

Between missions it was difficult to find a spare moment to text Eddie. He would often go straight from debriefs and send a quick text or two to her to touch base.

She was worth it.

She never complained if he took hours to reply, she understood the everchanging nature of his work (even if his job was a bit more complicated than he’d originally explained). She’d always have a sarcastic or witty reply to his jokes, he loved that.

She was unapologetically her.

\- Eddie’s POV – 

The team had been tasked with tracking down a target involved with a high-level terrorist organisation, identified in Bolivia. Get in, track him down, bring him in. They did this all the time.

The search took them to Montero, until now everything had gone according to plan. They came to a five-floor apartment complex that had come up on the radar as a possible location for a drop. 

“Third floor, should be room 308 on your right” Michaels spoke through the comms line

“Copy” Eddie relayed, looking up to Smith who was leading the way up the stairs. They both kept their guns out of sight so to not draw suspicion. 

The door was unlocked, and Smith went through first, drawing his pistol, Eddie hot on his heels.

“It’s clear. Absolutely nothing in here” Smith sighed. 

Damn, this was supposed to be reliable intel.

Michaels spoke again “Keep going up and see if there’s anything else around” 

“Roger” Smith rolled his eyes.

Up they went. There were only two more floors, but it was worth a shot.

That was when the shaking started.

A low, slow rumbling similar to a truck driving past, except it didn’t fade, it just got more intense. The entire building roared, rocking on its foundations. 

“Shit!” Smith exclaimed.

They were stuck in the stairwell between the third and fourth floors like sitting ducks. They needed to move and fast, but where?

“Up” was all Eddie managed as she saw a large crack forming through the wall. They both sprinted up the stairs and took shelter in two of the closest doorframes at the top of the staircase.

Screams came from the street below them as the windows in the building started to shatter. Eddie looked over at Sebastian who was watching the walls for the beginning signs of structural damage.

“Base, we’ve got a major situation here” Eddie spat through the comms.

“We’ve seen it on our end, Reid. How are you guys doing?” came the reply as the shaking stopped. “Are you okay?”

Eddie shot a concerned look to Smith who gave her a nod. The sound of bricks hitting pavement echoed down the street.

“Alright here, what do we do now?” she questioned.

Don’t go up, try to get out. They were inland so no Tsunami risk. How many people were in the building? Her mind raced a million miles an hour.

“Is there a clear path out?” Michaels was calm and collected. Thank goodness.

“Won’t know until we move. I might do a quick sweep and see if anyone’s injured” Smith spoke. 

Good idea. 

“Be careful, we’ll work on our end and see what we can do. Leave the rescuing to the emergency services though, we still have a mission to get on with. Good luck” 

“Copy” Eddie replied, and the line went quiet.

\- Scott’s POV – 

“International Rescue, we have a situation” John’s voice was clear through their comms system.

“What’s going on John” Virgil sat down in the control centre

“6.3 earthquake registered in Montero, Bolivia. Major damage to most of the city, you’ll be needed for rescue and recovery” 

“FAB” Scott spoke, already on the way to his chute.

Before long they touched down in the city, or at least what was left of it. It was midday so most people had been at work or at lunch so, luckily, there were less people in houses and apartments to search for.

“Where do we start?” Gordon was chipper, eager to get moving.

“Gordon, Alan, you’re on rounding up people – you’ll help the local authorities. Virgil, you and I will search the uncleared buildings and get as many out as we can.” Scott had his field commander hat on now and was quick to get things moving. “Any problems let me know”

And they were off. The group adding to the hardworking locals and soon they had most people accounted for and the injured being attended to.

“Scott” John’s voice appeared through the comms.

“Yes” he replied, busy helping Virgil lift a large piece of rubble to clear a pathway for a group of paramedics.

“I’ve just been informed that there’s a pair of elite army operatives on an undercover mission in Montero and they’re within the centre of the city. They’re in one of the apartment complexes and are making their way out. Just in case you see them; don’t be alarmed.”

“Alarmed?” Scott laughed. “I’ll keep an eye out”

“FAB” John signed off.

\- Eddie’s POV – 

A quick glance up to the top of the stairwell was all they needed to know that was a no-go zone. Large pieces of plaster and brick littered the landing and cracks were visibly forming through the walls leading upwards. They started down the stairs and split off, knocking on doors and yelling to attract the attention of anyone they couldn’t see.

No one on the fourth floor, same for the third. This place was, luckily, unpopular.

They split again on the second floor, this time finding a young boy cowering in the corner of one of the rooms. His curly black hair mopped over his face and eyes red from tears.

“Are you okay?” Eddie approached him cautiously. He looked petrified. 

“Mi… mi pierna” he cried. She knew enough broken Spanish to know that meant leg and made a mental note to thank her high school Spanish teacher. His leg was already swollen and bruised with a large gash running down his shin. Probably broken.

“We’re going to get you out of here” Eddie shuffled over to him and tucked her arms around his shoulders and legs, picking him up. “Como te llamas?”

“Lucas” he replied in obvious pain. 

“Me llamo Eddie” she smiled.

The pair made their way back to the landing and found Sebastian, his focus immediately concerned with Eddie and their newest patient. 

“I’m okay, let’s keep moving” Eddie assured him. 

Luckily the first floor was empty apart from a stray cat. It immediately fled as soon as they got close.

“One less to worry about I guess” Sebastian laughed.

They emerged at the ground floor and tread through the lobby of the complex, Lucas still wrapped in her arms, head tucked into the crook of her shoulder. It had also been deserted, papers and glass littering the floor around the desk. A porcelain vase of pink roses that had been perched on the mantle, now lay shattered and crumpled on the tiles.

They walked out to the road, surprised by the mess lay on the ground. Shop windows had come away from their frames and were smashed on the pavement and piles of rubble had accumulated to clear paths and search for those still in buildings.

“Lucas!” a shout came from off to their right. A distraught mother ran up to Eddie and Sebastian, clutching for her son. Eddie sat him on a clear area of the pavement and let them hug each other.

“Gracias” the mother had stood up and flung herself towards Eddie, engulfing her in a bearhug. Tears streamed down her face and Eddie felt herself feeling relieved that they had been able to reunite these two, knowing that there were probably many that wouldn’t get the chance to.

“We’re clear, base” Smith’s voice came through her comms. She looked over and saw him leaning against a wall to the side of the door.

“Good to hear. Rendezvous half a click southeast of your position in 20 minutes; that’s the quickest we can get to you” Michaels apologised.

“Thanks base, Smith out” he replied.

“All good?” Eddie approached him

“Fine on my end Mouse” he teased. The nickname would never fade, would it?

Smith was suddenly preoccupied with the motions behind her. She spun around to find a mass of blue huddled together.

“Hey, aren’t those guys the International Rescue crew?” Sebastian suggested

“Yeah, they must be here to help out” Eddie brushed off. “Come on, let’s head off”

They started walking, eyes scanning the situation that was unfolding. The group of blue uniforms had broken up and were heading to help out with their assigned duties. They did look fancy in those uniforms though. 

As they got closer the previously blurry figures started to gain defined features, until they were almost walking past each other. 

Then she realised.

Dark brown hair. Tall and broad. Striking blue eyes.

Scott. 

SCOTT?!


	6. Chapter 6

\- Scott’s POV – 

He stopped dead in his tracks, as did she, both staring at each other wide eyed and gaping mouthed. 

Both Virgil and Sebastian shared a laugh. 

It took him a second to actually register that it was her. Hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, low profile casual clothing, gun in a holster hidden underneath her shirt.

He finally put all the pieces together. The call from John detailing the undercover operatives rang loudly in his mind. Two plus two equals four, right? 

He strode over to her, determined.

“Who would’ve guessed?” he smirked and shook his head. “Come here”

Pulling her into a hug he sighed and closed his eyes. This was probably the last place he ever expected to see her again. They both pulled apart, taking a moment to look at each other.

“I’ll keep moving, see you in a bit Scooter” Virgil announced, slipping past them.

Eddie sent him a smile and he returned it, jogging off towards a group of officials.

“You have some explaining to do” she teased.

“As do you” he replied, putting his hands on his hips.

“It’s good to see you again” Eddie chirped.

Noticing the bright red gash on her right cheek, he brushed his hand near it, wincing. “Are you alright?” Her soft skin still delicate as the night they met, even in the midst of this scenario. 

“I’m ok” she smiled. “We were in one of the apartment complexes but cleared out pretty quick” She paused for a moment. “The initial quake was only 20 minutes ago, how did you get here so quick?”

He snickered and gestured off to the left, pointing out the bright red nose cone of Thunderbird one poking over the buildings. Looking back to her, he watched her jaw drop.

“What are you two doing here anyway?” he questioned, looking to Sebastian.

“Surveillance and marking a target” he replied. “Obviously Reid here didn’t fill you in on exactly it was that we do” 

“Not really” Scott glanced at Eddie. “I understand though, it’s the same reason I didn’t tell you about all this. Secrecy” he reached and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. 

“So, you’re not mad?” she queried 

“How could I be mad at you?” he replied. 

\- Eddie’s POV - 

She looked him up and down. That same charm that she had fallen for sparkled in his eyes, even stronger when embellished by the blue of his skin-tight suit. 

Damn.

“I hate to break this up, but we have a rendezvous to get to.” Smith piped 

Scott withdrew slightly, suddenly hyper-aware of the setting.

“You’re right Smith.” Eddie replied. 

She took Scott’s hands in her own, determined. “We can talk later; Smith and I have got to keep moving.” she sighed “I don’t know when I’ll be in one place for longer than a day, but I’ll let you know when I will, and obviously you don’t know when you’ll be free and there’s so much for us to talk about and…”

He broke her train of thought with a kiss. Rushed. Quick. Needed. He drew back and took her hands again. 

“We’ll take it as it comes” he reassured. 

“Thank you” she breathed.

They let go, breaking off from each other’s touch. 

Sebastian placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on Mouse” he coaxed

“Mouse?” Scott mimicked

“Don’t you start, Scooter” she shot back. “See you soon”

“See you soon” he echoed.

Eddie and Sebastian strode away down the road, she gently slapped him across the side of the head and scolded him for relinquishing her nickname in front of him. 

“Idiot” she jeered.

“It was kind of cute though” he admitted “I wouldn’t have even guessed it”

“Not the person I was expecting to see today. I mean, I’d definitely rather him over a terrorist” she laughed, Smith joining her. “Nice uniforms too”

\- Scott’s POV – 

“And who was that?” Gordon piped through the comms

“No one you need to be concerned with” Scott replied, “How’s the clean up going?”

“It’s boring. I’m bored” Alan grumbled.

“We’re almost done here” Virgil said, coming up behind Scott, “Good to see her again, definitely didn’t see that one coming”.

“Let’s deal with the situation at hand” Scott asserted. “Let me check in with the team leader and we’ll probably get moving soon”

“FAB” the chorus echoed through the line. Scott grinned as he walked towards the makeshift control centre. 

What a weird day.

After liaising with the rescue teams, he was confident with their efforts, so, sent Virgil home with Gordon and Alan in tow, all eager to get home. He continued by doing a final sweep and double checking with all the officials that there was nothing else they could do. By the time he was ready to leave, he finally realised how exhausted he really was. Physically, but emotionally too. A good meal and a hot shower were in order.

Clicking through the last of his pre-flight checks he took his phone from the side pocket of his pilot’s seat. Thunderbird 1 roared to life.

Yet another grin spread across his face as he read the notification on the screen.

‘Nice to properly meet you.  
Let me know when a good time and place to meet is.  
Until then, Mouse’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time. Feels nice to have the 'secrets' out in the open.
> 
> Thanks to those leaving Kudos <3 It really helps my confidence :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

\- Eddie’s POV – 

2 weeks later they had wrapped up and were back at the London base swamped with mission statements, debriefs and summative interviews. Her and Sebastian had returned from Bolivia in good shape, having tracked and shut down the main heading. A huge weight off of everyone’s shoulders. 

Michaels had been extremely please with the entire operation, fortunate for everyone: he was a force to be reckoned with if things went sideways. He’d been so pleased, in fact, that the whole team had been granted 3 weeks leave.

Brilliant.

She wrapped up the last page of the report and slotted it into the parchment envelope with a sigh. 

This was definitely the worst part of the job.

She sauntered towards Sebastian’s office, hoping that he too was finished or close to finishing the ever-mounting stack of paperwork.

“Couldn’t give me a lift home, could you?” she swung around the door into Smith’s office, a coy grin on her face.

“Give me 5 minutes” he replied, looking up from the pile on his desk.

“I’ll nip out and grab us a coffee each while you finish up” she suggested, finishing the sentence as she was heading out the door

“You’re my favourite” he chimed after her. She rolled her eyes grinned with that statement. It was nice to have someone that you could spend 4 weeks practically glued together and still not be sick of one another, especially in the circumstances that they worked in.

Eddie remembered fondly when they had first come into contact. They had met 3 years ago during an SAS training exercise. Both of them fresh to the special forces but eager to impress and land a job in the field. 

After 6 weeks of intensive training they really only knew each other as acquaintances, you never got to know everyone personally.

For the final exercise they had been paired together: the pairs were dropped in remote locations and experienced special forces staff were dropped equal distances from each pair, tasked with tracking them down and capturing them. The task was simply to reach the given end point without being caught. 

Eddie and Sebastian’s skills each complemented the others. While it was a long and gruelling three days’ worth of hard work, they had been the first pair to reach the destination. Out of the 7 pairs that had been dropped, only 4 made it to the end undetected. She remembered being physically and emotionally exhausted, but glad that they had been pushed to their limits as, retrospectively, most of the missions they embarked on had done the same.

It wasn’t until a year later, after serving with the SAS, that she had been picked out to join the current task force and had come across Smith again. Apparently, he had suggested her as an additional, though he’d never willingly confess to it. 

She laughed to herself as she pictured the sly grin he had on his face when she first walked into the base and came across him, a grin that had made its fair share of appearances in their daily routine, much like the one a few minutes ago.

Glancing at her watch it read 11am; seemed to be a good time for coffee. 

She headed down the street from the base and picked up two lattes, making polite conversation with the quirky barista behind the counter.

Before long she was through security and back within the confines of the base, handing Smith his coffee with a grin.

“You’re chipper” he noted

She took a sip of her coffee “Back on home soil” 

“Ready to go then?” he flipped a file closed and stood up from his desk

“Sure thing”

They said goodbye to the rest of the team, which had already decreased in numbers from the announcement of leave. Most of them had been cooped up in here for the amount of time they had been on mission, for which Eddie was incredibly grateful; they helped keep them safe while they were out.

Smith dropped her off at the apartment complex and wished her well for the next few weeks, followed by a backhanded joke and a teasing smile. She just rolled her eyes and waved him off, echoing a goodbye as he drove away.

Walking in through the doorway of her apartment, she dropped her duffel bag on the marble tiles with a thud.

For a moment she just stood. 

After over a month away, the tidiness and security of her own space was precious.

Sacred.

First stop, shower. That probably had to be the one thing she missed the most while away, that, a good cup of coffee and a clean bed.

After a shower she changed into the fluffiest sweatpants she could find and a baggy t-shirt sporting the faded logo of a band whose concert she went to in high school. She nestled into a comfortable spot on the couch.

Switching on the TV, she finally took a moment to relax. The streams of midday sun flooding the living room left the room swimming in golden light.

Absentmindedly switching through TV channels, she settled on one and sat, merely allowing the sound to wash over her, suddenly realising how tired she really was. It wasn’t long before she drifted peacefully off to sleep. 

\- Scott’s POV – 

A peaceful day on Tracy Island. Scott was stood on the deck, leaning against the railing and staring off past the coast of their haven. Bright blue painted the sky for as far as the eye could see. He could vaguely hear the lapping of water against the edge of the pool as Gordon swam and inhuman number of laps up and down the pool. That boy never stopped.

“Bored?” came a voice from behind him. Alan. He situated himself next to his older brother and joined him in taking in the scenery. “Nice day out though”

“Just enjoying the view” he replied

Alan scoffed “The same view we see every day?”

“That’s the one”

Alan rolled his eyes “Right”

“Don’t you have lessons to do anyway?”

“I’m taking a break”

Scott turned to Alan and ruffled his hair with his hand, prompting an annoyed grunt from the youngest. The two both went back to looking across the water until Alan turned back to him, a question obviously buzzing at his lips.

“Scotty, are we going to be doing this forever?” 

Scott froze. What kind of question was that?

“What do you mean Allie? he replied, somewhat concerned.

“I was just thinking, you met that girl. What happens if you want to move away, what happens if one of us wants to leave?” he kept his gaze focused on the glistening of the waves lapping at the shore.

Taken aback, Scott paused. What did happen? It had never really come up before, so no one had ever needed to address it.

It was logical though. Eventually at least one of them would want to start a family, right? Was Tracy Island the right place to do that? In the right circumstances it might be, but what would it take?

Maybe that was something that could be discussed in the future. But not with his 16-year-old brother on a Thursday afternoon.

“Don’t you get all existential on me Allie” he joked, lightly nudging him with his elbow.

“You’re right” he turned around towards the house, leaning on the railing with his back. “I guess I’ll get back to it”

“Sure thing” Scott smiled back at him and Alan was off.

Following him back inside, Scott recalled the last time he saw Eddie. She had taken him by surprise, that was for sure.

She had the same spark that he remembered from the night of the gala – even when she was covered in dust. He admitted to himself that his heart had skipped a beat when he realised that it really was her.

It was so unlike him. He was usually so focused and driven, but he had been preoccupied. Her eyes burned a hole through him and permanently ingrained themselves into his mind. Whenever he read her texts it was like she was right in front of him, speaking the words out. 

Now that he knew what she really did – there was an element of fear. Knowing that she could be walking into a dangerous situation and he wouldn’t be there to help or protect her awakened the ‘big brother’ protective instinct. Something that normally only presented itself when one of his brothers was in danger.

She probably felt much the same, now that the cat was out of the bag that he was with International Rescue. 

At least a part of him hoped that that was the case. 

Deciding that she would most likely be back from wherever she had been, he wrote out a text to send. At least if she didn’t get it right away, she would receive it when she returned. 

It seemed to be the norm for them, but he didn’t mind. Not when he got the chance to get to know her. He admitted, she was pretty cool.

‘Hope you’re back safe, we should catch up. I can meet you wherever.  
Looking forward to seeing your face again,  
Scooter’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me, I know it's been a couple of days
> 
> Hope you're enjoying this <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of this chapter that is a text exchange. I've tried to set it so that it looks like a text conversation but I apologise if it is a bit confusing :)
> 
> Enjoy!

\- Eddie’s POV -

She woke up to her phone buzzing on the counter. She had manoeuvred into a rather uncomfortable position lying sideways on the couch. She rubbed the back of her neck as she sat up, reorienting herself with where she was.

Wandering over to the kitchen she took her phone in her hand and lazily swiped through the notifications. A weather report, a few emails and old messages from the apps long forgotten but remaining undeleted, until finally reaching the text messages that had come through.

The first being from her brother, Tom.

‘Hey sis, thought you might be around. Let’s have a coffee!’

It was nice to have contact from him. They didn’t talk often but they both treasured the time they spent together. He was 2 years older than herself and also lived in London, working as a doctor at the Royal London Hospital.

She had plenty of great memories with him. Of course, they fought a lot when they were younger, but you would be searching a lifetime before you found siblings that didn’t. As much as they were similar, they were also equally different. He was a shy, somewhat awkward person sporting fluffy black hair and thick glasses he was practically blind without.

He was a nerd, but he was her best friend and biggest supporter.

When they had lost their parents and brother in a freak accident just over 5 years ago they became even closer, inseparable for months while working through the situation. It wasn’t something that crossed either of their minds very often, but they had both come out the other end stronger, and Eddie attributed most of her mental and emotional strength to the whole ordeal.

She typed out the reply to Tom

‘Long time no see, coffee sounds great. I can meet you at the hospital sometime this week?’

Then the next text. It was from Scott.

She read it through a few times to make sure she wasn’t imagining what he was saying. She knew that he had access to the aircraft that made up International rescue, but surely that didn’t mean that he could fly off whenever he pleased. Did it? And where did he live? Could he really get to London?

That questioning lead to a thousand others, but he was worth it.

So, she sent a text in reply, with any luck they could meet sooner rather than later. He had an odd sort of effect on her, much the same as she remembered high school crushes feeling.

‘Back home in London. Enjoying the downtime on home soil.  
Would love to see your face again’

She really did want to see his face again. It was a damn good one.

The time on the clock read half past five, and judging by the grumbling of her stomach, it was probably time to have food. Not bothered with supermarket shopping or even leaving her apartment, the decision was made to order in, and she resumed her position on the couch, remembering to take her phone with her this time.

\- Scott’s POV -

His phone buzzed in his pocket, a reply from Eddie flashed up on the screen.

London. That was doable.

‘London seems reasonable, any time in particular?’

‘My calendar’s blank’

‘Hopefully it’s still got the days on it’

‘Ever thought about a career in comedy?’

‘I’ve considered it’

‘Don’t quit your day job’

‘You have my word. How does tomorrow sound?’

‘Tomorrow would be great’

‘Stapleford Aerodrome, 10am’

‘Roger that. See you tomorrow’

‘Can’t wait’

As he put down the phone, he realised that that was the first conversation they’d had in real time without having to wait days for a reply.

A smile spread across his face. They were finally going to catch up properly.

He thought of the things he would say, what he would wear, where they would go. His mind wandered off reminiscing on the moments they’d shared since they first met and how much it made him want to spend more and more time together.

First off, business.

“John” he tapped the holoprojector to life and waited for his copper-haired brother to answer.

“Hey Scott. Everything alright?” came the reply

“Everything is great. I’ve got a favour to ask”

John drifted towards his desk and sat behind it, leaning into the chair “Go ahead”

“I’m going to London tomorrow”

“That’s new” John leaned forward and placed an elbow on the desk, cocking his head to the side slightly. He was intrigued.

Scott rolled his eyes “I’m going to see Eddie”

“The girl from Bolivia. Oh, and the gala a few months ago?” Nothing wrong with his memory was there?

“Yes” he replied, settling into the couch.

“And the favour?” John prodded

“Right. I’m going to take Tracy 2. Can you let me know if a call comes through that I need to come back for?”

“She must be a pretty great girl” John leaned back in his chair again.

“That’s one way to put it”

“All good on my end Scotty. I’ll make sure to call you only if it’s desperate”

“Thanks John, means a lot”

“Everything okay down there?”

“Business as usual. Gordon’s been swimming laps, Alan’s procrastinating. I think Virgil’s tucked himself away in the studio. Brains has Grandma helping out with a few jobs” Scott recalled where each of the family was.

“Kayo shouldn’t be far. She’s been liaising with the GDF” John scrolled through some information floating around him

“Cheers John. Have a good night”

“Same to you Scott. Safe travels” John’s image blinked away from the middle of the lounge.

Scott pushed himself up off the sofa and headed into the kitchen, searching for something to eat.

“London huh?” Gordon was sitting at the counter, tucking into a bowl of cereal.

“Cereal?” Scott checked his watch. “At 8 o’clock?”

“Food’s food” he shoved another spoonful into his mouth rather enthusiastically.

“I worry about you sometimes Gordo” Scott shook his head and rummaged through the fridge, taking out some yoghurt and grabbing a banana from the bowl on the counter.

“So, London?” Gordon pressed

Scott had grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and was cutting up the banana, placing it in the bowl along with the yoghurt “What about London?”

“I’m not deaf”

“Yes, I’m going to London” Scott grumbled “Eddie is home, so I thought I’d pay her a visit”

“She seems nice. I didn’t see much of her in Bolivia but from what I did, I was impressed”

Scott shot him a sideways look, Gordon merely brushed it off, both of them going back to their respective bowls.

“I’m glad you’re happy Scotty.”

Scott raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t often that Gordon got sentimental.

Gordon got up from his seat and put the empty bowl in the sink “That’s all the sappiness you’re going to get out of me”

“I hope you’re going to wash that” Scott yelled at him as he started towards his bedroom.

The only reply he got was the wave of a hand.

Pulling out his phone again, he reread the conversation that had played out not long ago. The butterflies that erupted in his stomach were unmistakeable.

Tomorrow was going to be special, and he was excited.


	9. Chapter 9

\- Eddie’s POV – 

The blaring alarm rang loud around the room, bouncing off the walls. The sensation of waking up in a clean, warm, enclosed room took her by surprise for a moment while she regained orientation to her surroundings.

0730\. Plenty of time to get ready and make it to the airfield. 

She rolled out of bed and headed to the shower, taking a towel from the linen cupboard on her way past. Switching on the shower she stood on the cool tiles and savoured the calm moment with a deep breath.

After showering she slipped into the outfit that she’d planned in her head the night before. High-waisted black jeans with a white t-shirt tucked into the front. Paired with black timberlands and a blue denim jacket she would throw on as she went out the door. Taking a moment to look in the mirror to make sure it looked the same as it did in her head, a smile spread across her face. 

This really was happening.

0820\. Breakfast. 

A bowl of oats from the jar she’d had sitting in the cupboard. They were one of the few foods she knew wouldn’t spoil while she was away. No use in keeping a loaf of bread in there if they were away for 2 weeks – she’s definitely made that mistake before. A 2-day operation that turned into 4 weeks. After the one-week mark, she recalled the fridge full of food in her apartment and dreaded the day that she returned and had to clean it all out. That was a damn nightmare.

While sifting through the bowl of oats, she picked up her phone and read the reply she’s received from Tom. 

‘I’m off for the weekend. How about brunch on Sunday?’ 

He did love his brunch. They both did. There was a certain appeal to it: being able to have a sleep in, the fusion of lunch and breakfast food paired with alcohol and cutting the necessary meals for the day from three down to two. 

‘Perfect, you’ve definitely got a better idea of the spots around here than I do. Your choice’

A thought crossed her mind that maybe she should send a text to Scott. But what would she say? Nothing came to mind and she assumed that he was already in the air, so she simply set her phone down on the counter and glanced at the time on her watch.

0915\. Right, time to hustle. It was going to take at least 30 minutes to get there but she wasn’t going to chance being late. 

She quickly cleaned the bowl and left it to dry to the side of the sink, shuffling back to her room to grab her jacket, keys and helmet. Pulling the door closed behind her she strode down the stairs to the underground parking garage. 

It wasn’t long before she reached her motorbike. It was probably one of the things she missed the most about being at home. Its sleek black and silver detailing was eye catching, one of the first things that drew her to it. Her mind wandered back to when she first bought it and the sheer terror of fronting up to the wrath of her parents – who had practically yelled the house down, eventually coming to the conclusion that she was responsible enough to be safe. In comparison, they knew very little about her job, and she counted herself lucky that this was the case: deciding to keep it this way for their own sake. 

She turned the key and the bike roared to life. The rumble of the engine followed as she shot out into the streets, heading towards the airfield. She loved the feeling of riding - the thrill of being so exposed at such a fast pace was part of the thrill. 

Arriving at Stapleford, she shut off the bike and slipped off her helmet, locking it to the side of the frame.

She glanced at her watch again: 0957. Perfect timing.

Then came the thunder of an engine. 

\- Scott’s POV – 

He would never get over the feeling of flying. About 30 minutes out of London; he was sat back in the pilot’s seat, simply enjoying the view. A relaxed morning and an uneventful departure from the Island set him in great spirits for the coming day.

He had considered sending a text to her before he left but decided against it: he would say what he needed to when he arrived.

“Tracy Two to Stapleford Airfield” he switched on the comms line

“Reading you loud and clear Tracy Two” came the reply

“We were in contact last night, request permission to land” 

“Granted Tracy Two; what’s your ETA?” the bright voice piped through the speaker

“ETA 0958” he read from the flight data in front of him

“Permission granted Tracy Two, safe landing. Stapleford out” the line crackled and went silent

Scott relaxed back into the leather of his seat and glanced at his watch. 0945. 

Running through the last checks and scanning over the flight data, he prepped for landing. He could do this in his sleep if he wanted to, but he knew that it needed to be meticulous. Something he admitted that he drilled his brothers on (maybe a little too much), but he wanted to protect them. Sometimes that meant tough love, there was no way around it.

He cruised down towards the airfield and landed no problems, pulling into the designated position that had been relayed, he would park here for the day. Suddenly the butterflies decided to reappear. He’d been ignoring the feeling since last night – he was better than feeling nervous. Something about her just made him feel like he had a crush. Damn.

Now or never. 

He pulled on the handle to open up the door and took in a deep breath of the crisp air. While it was a sunny day – it definitely wasn’t warm by any accord and he was glad to be wearing a jacket. He jumped down from the opening and closed the door, making his way towards the control building, scanning for her. 

And there she was. Leaning casually against one of the outer walls of the main building. Damn she looked good.

His pace quickened and he smiled as he came closer.

“Fancy seeing you here” she chimed as she started towards him.

He pulled her into a hug “Hello to you too” 

“Welcome to England” she looked up at him as they pulled apart

“Colder than I remember…” the end of his sentence trailed off as he stared into her eyes

She simply smiled, looking over at the plane he had arrived in

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” he turned to face the same direction as her

“Sweet ride bro” she laughed, sporting a terrible American accent 

He laughed, shaking his head at her. They took a moment to enjoy each other’s presence, simply standing next to one another.

“So, do you have a plan?” she broke the silence with her question

“Oh, I see how it is” he put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows in a ‘fake teasing’ fashion. “I come to see you and have to make the plans too?”

“You know, chivalry and whatnot” she shot back, adopting the same stance as him. 

“I thought chivalry was dead” feigning surprise, he took her hand and they headed to the entrance.

They wandered through the foyer, both noting the small scale of the area, scattered with partitions and offices. This was a functional space rather than cosmetic, after all.

Scott lead them to a desk and introduced himself to the clerk and received a set of keys from her, shooting a smirk towards Eddie. 

As they walked to the exit, she raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

“Transport” he answered, interpreting her expression and held open the door.

“Probably better than what I could provide” she replied, gesturing towards the bike.

“Damn”

“Weren’t expecting that, huh?” she read his surprise

“You never cease to impress me” he smirked

He could have sworn he saw a blush swipe across her cheeks.

He nudged her towards the parking lot, stopping next to a sleek black sports car and pressed the button to unlock it. He pulled open her door and bowed, hand across his chest with a chuckle, watching as she rolled her eyes and slipped into the seat.

Scooting around the back of the car he took in the exterior. Absolutely gorgeous, even though it was a rental. It wasn’t often that he got to drive open road, and this was the machine to do it in. It helped that he had a beautiful girl in the passenger’s seat.

Pulling open the door, he too slid into the seat and looked across to Eddie, her eyes already locked on him.

“Ready?” he smiled, turned the key and the engine rumbled to life.


	10. Chapter 10

\- Eddie’s POV – 

She couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at him every 3 seconds. It was still hard to believe that this was really happening. He drove them towards central London, and she wondered if he really did have a plan. If the day merely consisted of them driving around in circles, it would still be worth it.

As always, he looked incredible. A collared blue shirt with the top button undone, navy pants, and a black jacket over the top. It was that moment that she realised that each time they’d seen each other, they had been wearing drastically different clothing from the previous time. She laughed subtly at the thought.

He noticed her laugh “Everything ok?”

“More than ok” she replied, glancing over at him yet again

“Are you a coffee person?”

“Heck yes” she nodded. 

“More of a long black or a latte kind of person?” he asked

She paused for a moment. “Depends how I’m feeling really. I’d probably lean towards a flat white at any given moment”

“Good choice”

“There’s a really nice café in the city?” she suggested “I actually haven’t had one yet this morning”

“Neither, sounds good to me”

She fed him directions as they neared the city and eventually arrived, stopping outside the quaint café. It was the same one that Eddie had retrieved coffees for her and Smith two days ago when they returned. It was the destination that most military staff sought their daily caffeine fix. Whether or not the café staff knew that was beyond her.

They both climbed out of the car and entered through the sliding door. She couldn’t help but look over at him again as they stood waiting to order.

“You know there’s such a thing as peripheral vision?” he teased, turning to face her.

“Damn, I thought I was being discreet” she replied sarcastically and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.

He merely laughed and walked towards the counter.

“I’ll have two flat whites to go, please”. He handed a debit card to the barista and turned to smile at Eddie. 

“My shout next time then” she squeezed his forearm and walked to one of the tables near a window, taking a seat. He followed close behind.

“Nice place” he spoke, looking around.

“The office is just down the road, so this is a frequent visit for most of us”

“Office?” he raised an eyebrow

“The amount of paperwork they give us is inhumane” she rolled her eyes and leaned an elbow on the arm of the chair

“Roger that” he nodded.

The barista from behind the counter approached them, a carry tray containing two coffee cups in one hand and a full paper bag in the other and placed them on the table between the two.

“Thank you” Scott acknowledged, stirring butterflies in her stomach. The husky tone of his voice was intoxicating. 

Eddie took the carry tray and started for the door, sliding it open. As Scott walked through the doorway, she bent her free arm over her chest and bowed her head with a smirk.

“Chivalry definitely isn’t dead then” Scott joked as he walked.

When they both closed the door behind them, Scott pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times, adjusting the dial on the car radio as a song began and positioning the phone so he could see the screen while he drove.

Eddie took one of the cups from the tray and wrapped her hands around it, taking a sip and relishing the warmth radiating from it.

“So, International Rescue…” she chimed 

Scott let out a small laugh “Yes?”

“Tell me about it” she replied

\- Scott’s POV – 

He knew the topic was going to come up sooner or later. He hadn’t thought about what he would say or explain about their organisation. To be fair, it wasn’t often that he was able to talk openly with someone about what it was he did.

“Well… There’s five of us. Actually, technically six” he started

“Your brothers?” she questioned

“Mhmm” he answered. “And our adopted sister, sort of. She’s been around the family as long as I can remember”

He glanced over to her and she simply raised her eyebrows reassuringly, encouraging him to continue.

“Each of us pilots one of the craft. I have Thunderbird One, Thunderbird two is Virgil – who you know”

Eddie hummed in agreement

“Thunderbird three, the spacecraft, is Alan – he’s the youngest of us. Thunderbird four is a submarine and Gordon’s got that one. And Thunderbird five is John: that’s the space station. He’s the one that relays all the information back and forth.”

“I was about to say that I’d only ever heard of four of you”

“No one really knows about John up there. He likes it that way.”

“What’s it like working with your brothers?” she questioned

“Most of the time, really great. They all work hard and they’re exceptional pilots. But you know, we’re all boys and siblings. Sometimes they’re just…”

“A pain in the ass?” 

“Took the words right out of my mouth” he replied with a laugh. “Then Kayo – she’s number 6. She pilots Thunderbird Shadow – which you won’t have seen. She heads the security portion of the operation”

“Sounds like a huge job” 

“Worth it though” he assured.

“So, you’re always ready to go whenever you’re needed?”

“Essentially, yes. John receives the call and usually alerts local authorities. If it’s too big of a job or they’re unavailable we get sent out.”

She paused for a second. He glanced over and saw her brow furrowed slightly.

“So, how come you’re here? Don’t you need to be ready to respond if you’re needed?” she questioned, concern evident in her voice.

“We’re all allowed to take time off” he took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it lightly on her thigh, just above the knee. “No chance I was going to miss the opportunity to see you” 

He felt the warmth emanating from her skin through the jeans. It was comforting to know that she was right there, listening and understanding. He felt his shoulders relax, the tension he hadn’t noticed before melting from the muscles in his neck.

“It’s unlikely, but if they really need to, John will contact me and arrange it from there. All of us can pilot each other’s crafts too – if anything unexpected happens. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s saved our asses more times than one.” 

“A well-oiled machine” she smiled and placed a hand over the top of his.

“What about your line of work?” he questioned, squeezing her leg lightly.

“Cat’s out of the bag I guess” she laughed. “I work for the British Army: specifically, a top-secret intelligence section marking high level targets.”

“Wow”. 

That was all he could manage. He knew she was in that realm but actually hearing it from her was, to put it frankly, pretty cool.

“Yeah, when we met in Bolivia we were in the middle of a mission. That was why I was a bit surprised” she laughed

“Same here. Can’t say I was prepared to see you there. Unexpected but definitely not unwelcome.” he gave her leg another squeeze.

She replied simply by lacing her fingers through his, interlocking her hand over his. He felt his cheeks get warm as the tips of her fingers tickled his palm.

He turned another corner and realised that they had arrived. A gravel parking lot with a few cars overlooked a luscious green meadow, a river running at the bottom and tall-standing trees scattered around the perimeter. 

He recalled last night, asking John to send him directions to ‘somewhere they could enjoy the view’ and while his brother had relented, he’d eventually given in and come up with this place. He’d have to thank him later because it was absolutely breath-taking.

When he looked over to Eddie her eyes were wide, and a grin had spread across her entire face. Clearly, she thought the same.


	11. Chapter 11

\- Eddie’s POV – 

How had she never been here before? After three years of living in London she’d never even known that this spot existed. However, most of the time was spent either at the base or out of the country completely. It kind of made sense.

He must have sensed her surprise as they both stepped out of the car, each holding a cup of coffee that was luckily still warm. She noticed Scott take the brown paper bag from the partition between their seats.

“You live in a beautiful place” he noted, coming along beside her

“I’ll admit it, I’ve never been here” she replied, still taking in the scenery

“Nice to be a tourist in your own city then?”

“Definitely”

He tucked the bag under his arm and took her hand, guiding them towards a bench where he sat down and gestured for her to do the same. She took the hint and nuzzled in beside him, pushing her shoulder close to his.

“How’d you find this place?” she questioned

“John’s a wealth of knowledge” he laughed

He turned slightly and rustled the paper bag that had been set down on the other side of him, taking out a large chocolate muffin, about the size of his fist. She looked at it and dropped her jaw with a chuckle.

“You approve?” he asked as he read her expression

“A thousand times over”

He took it and ripped it through the middle, handing half to her and taking the other half, biting into it. She did the same and hummed in agreement. It was rich and decadent and paired perfectly with the coffee she had in the other hand. 

The two sat, enjoying the view and company.

“When did you get back from your mission?” he broke the silence as he finished his half of the muffin

“Thursday” she paused as she finished the last piece still in her mouth “We’ve been given three weeks off from then. A lot more than we normally get which is great”

They both paused, she looked over to him and watched as his brow furrowed slightly, almost able to see the thoughts running through his head.

“Penny for your thoughts?” she proposed

“I have an idea” he paused again “I might have to run it past someone but I think you’ll like it”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked back at him, questioning his statement.

“Do you have siblings?” he deflected, storing away the topic for later

She suddenly paused, thinking of how to explain the complications of her family without bringing down the mood of the conversation.

“I, um, I have a brother” immediately, she regretted the tone of the sentence and sighed, her eyes fixed on her lap.

He picked up the frustration in her voice and placed a hand on her knee again “You okay?”

“Yeah” she looked up at him again “It’s just a bit complicated”

“We’ve got time” he smiled at her reassuringly

She took a deep breath and looked up at the view that surrounded them. Peaceful, serene and untouched. 

“I had two brothers: Tom and Daniel. Tom’s two years older than me and Daniel was a year older than him. I’m the youngest” a pause “We lost Daniel along with my parents a few years back in a car crash”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his shoulders drop. He turned to face her and switched the position of his hands, moving the one than was on her knee now to be on her shoulder and the other hand replacing the previous. She kept her eyes facing the horizon.

This was the first time that she’d told anyone about what had happened. When it had happened, she’d been about to go to a training camp and Tom had her assured that he was fine, and that the opportunity was important. She’d processed it in her own way, gone to the funeral, done the grieving, and moved on. 

It wasn’t exactly something that came up in general conversation.

“Mum and Dad had been visiting Daniel at his new job and he was bringing them back from dinner. A drunk driver hit them.” she took another deep breath as she felt her voice start to break. “We lost all three of them”

She felt the sting of tears threatening behind her eyes fought to draw it back in.

“I’m so sorry Eddie” Scott breathed in disbelief. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be”

The warmth of his voice as he spoke, coupled with the blue eyes she knew were staring at her, full of concern, tore the thread holding the emotion inside and she felt a tear run from her eye down her cheek. Its glistening trail immediately feeling cold on her skin. The breath hitched in her chest, caught at a lump in her throat.

\- Scott’s POV - 

He didn’t say anything, simply pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders in a solid embrace. It tugged at his heart to see her reduced to this, usually so strong and robust.

He felt her relax into his arms as he held her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“Sorry” she mumbled from inside his arms, pulling away and wiping at her eyes

He took a hand and traced her cheek with his thumb “You have nothing to apologise for, I’m glad that you told me”

“Thank you for listening” 

He took her back into a bear hug, feeling her close, warm against his chest. 

“Screw it” he breathed. She pulled back to look at him, confused. “I’m not going to run it by anyone. Do you want to come and spend some of your time off with me?”

He kept his hands on her shoulders, the side of his mouth curling up to a crooked smile, hoping he hadn’t just put his foot in it. He watched as she blinked a few times, pondering the proposal.

She cocked her head slightly “Are you sure?” 

“Of course I’m sure” he laughed “I mean, you’d have to put up with my complicated family, if that’s ok with you?”

“I guess we’re all complicated” she smiled

“So, that’s a yes?” he chimed hopefully.

“Yes”

She barely had time to reply before he pulled her towards him. His lips met hers and interlocked, the warmth of both sets melding into one. He felt one of her hands drag along the side of his face and come to rest on his jawline, causing the tiny hairs to stand on end, excited under her touch. His hands wrapped around her waist, seeking contact with her body.

She pulled away just enough to take a breath, their noses still pressed together

“You are such a distraction” she breathed, her warm breath dancing across his lips.

He simply laughed in reply, detaching from her and standing up, one hand extended in suggestion. She smirked at him, placing her hand in his as they began to walk. They placed their empty coffee cups and paper bag in a bin as they dawdled back towards the parking lot.

“I’ll admit I didn’t pack a bag in preparation” she mentioned sarcastically as they both stepped into the car.

“Shall we arrange a short trip to your accommodation before our departure?” he suggested, putting on his worst posh English accent and raising his eyebrows.

She broke out into laughter “Now who’s the one with the bad accent?” 

He smiled back at her and watched her laugh, the grin radiating from her face.

Turning to face the wheel, he turned the key and began the drive back into town.

“One question though” she started

“Hmm” he raised his eyebrows in anticipation

“Did you actually have a plan for today or were you just winging it?”

He simply laughed; eyes fixed on the road.


	12. Chapter 12

\- Scott -

They arrived outside an apartment complex after Eddie had directed him through the city. They had shared a few jokes as he drove, both enjoying the light-hearted nature of the conversation.

“This is it” she announced, and he stopped in one of the spaces outside the front entrance. “Do you want to come in?”

“Sure” and followed her out of the car and towards the door.

They headed up the two flights of stairs side by side and quickly reached the door to her apartment. She slid the key in the door and unlocked it, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Her place was really nice, an open floor space with a kitchen to one side and a lounge to the other, framed with a wall to wall window that drenched the room in sunlight. The short hallway in front of him obviously led to the bedroom.

“Nice place” he noted as he looked around

“Thanks” she replied, “I’ll just go and pack some things – do you want something to drink?”

Having only just finished the coffee before they set off – he didn’t feel particularly thirsty “I’m ok, thanks”

She smiled at him and turned to head towards the bedroom. He sat down on the couch and took in the view – he was only just able to see over the top of some of the buildings.

“Are you sure this is going to be ok? I don’t want to disrupt things” she stopped after a few steps and turned back to face him with a slight frown.

He sighed and stood up, smiling at her “I’m sure. How about I call now and let them know? Put your mind at ease”

“Ok. I’ll leave you to it” and she was heading down the hallway again.

He sat down again slipped his jacket off, placing it on the arm of the couch. He pulled his phone from his pocket, shifting his weight to be able to reach it. He tapped a few buttons on the screen and smiled as he saw John’s image flash up in front of him in the typical blue tinge.

“Morning, everything ok Scott?” he questioned as he made eye contact with his eldest brother.

“All good here” he smiled. “I’ve got a question. Well, kind of a request of sorts”

“Mmm” John hummed in acknowledgement, inviting Scott to continue

He paused for a moment. What would he do if John disagreed? Was he moving too quickly? He pushed the questions aside: they could be answered later if needs be. “I want to bring Eddie out to the Island”

John smirked as he slid away from the comms centre slightly and floating in the free space between the walls of Thunderbird 5. Suddenly all of the questions flooded back to Scott’s mind as he contemplated retracting his question.

“I thought you might” John started “I took the liberty of background checking just in case. Not a single mark against her name, Scott, she even seems like a really lovely person”

A grin spread across Scott’s face as he heard the words from John.

“I actually had this discussion with Virgil earlier, he expected it as well. If she makes you happy then we want to meet her” a pause as he furrowed his brows in thought “Well, maybe I won’t meet her in person, but, go for it. You know the drill with bringing people out.”

“Thanks John.” he sighed.

“How’s London?” John shifted the conversation, grabbing a bag of what seemed to be pistachio nuts and throwing one into his mouth.

“A bit cold but otherwise good.” he replied. John was probably the most efficient conversationalist that existed: he knew exactly how far to push a topic before moving swiftly onto the next and could read a person like a book. Scott sometimes wondered if he possessed an element of psychic ability not able to be explained by science.

“I’ll leave you to it then. Have a safe flight”

“Oh John” Scott interrupted before he could close the line

“Yeah”

“Thanks for the tip on the lookout, it was perfect”

“No problem” he nodded, and his image blinked away.

Scott relaxed back into the couch and looked out the window again. A moment passed before he picked his phone back up and tapped the screen once more, this time Virgil’s image appeared in front of him.

“Hey bro” Virgil’s voice bellowed through the mic and Scott quickly pushed the button on the side of his device to turn his brothers’ volume down. He laughed softly at the noticeable difference in the demeanour and personality of his two brothers.

“Hey Virg, how are you?”

“Doing good. Alan and Gordon are halfway across the island doing who knows what. I think they’re trying to avoid the kitchen for as long as possible, Grandma’s in there”

“I heard that young man!” Scott smiled as a faint voice echoed through the speaker.

“Sorry Grandma!” Virgil gritted his teeth and looked guilty as he turned back to Scott

“They’ve got the hoverbikes with them in case they need to get back right?” Scott questioned, referring to the youngest brothers. With him not being on the island, he was hyperaware of the need for them to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“Yes sir” Virgil nodded and performed a lazy salute towards Scott’s image.

Ignoring Virgil’s retort, he continued with the real reason for making the call. “I’m coming back soon, and I’ve just finished a call with John, Eddie’s going to be coming with me”

Virgil’s grinned at Scott with a small nod. “Thought so”

Scott let out a small sigh.

“Hey, I’m looking forward to it” Virgil assured him. “I trust you”

“Thanks Virg. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way”

“Have a safe flight, see you soon” Virgil replied cheerfully, before closing off the call.

\- Eddie –

She had packed the things she needed into a beige coloured pack after browsing the selection of bags that sat in her closet. She noted to herself that she shouldn’t have been surprised that every one was military issue or tactical gear and laughed softly at the notion.

Straightening the cover over her bed she swung the bag over her shoulders and headed back to the lounge. As she walked through the door, she heard two voices, assuming Scott was talking to someone before the conversation ended and they apartment fell into silence.

“You ready to go?” he piped from the corner of the couch as he noticed her walk into the room.

She dropped the bag by the wall and took a seat on his right side “I’ll take that as a go-ahead?”

“Sure is” he replied with a smile

He shimmied closer to her until their shoulders were pressed together. He then reached over to her right side, grabbed her legs, and pulled them over his thighs, holding her close. Eddie nuzzled her head into the space between his shoulder and jaw and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth from his neck and his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Scott’s hand drifted to her face, his thumb on her chin and forefinger under her jaw, drawing her up to look at him. Her eyes met his and he leaned forward, closing the small space between them.

His lips soft and warm, she melted into them. She draped her arms around behind him, her fingertips dancing over the rigid material of his shirt and he hummed softly at the movement. His hand wandered to her waist and clutched the clothing covering her skin desperately. The other hand cupped her jaw lightly, the rough surface of his skin coupled with the gentle brush of his touch made her echo his previous sound, humming in approval.

He pulled away again, taking a moment to look into her eyes. “You’re so beautiful” he breathed as he closed the gap again, enveloping her into another passionate kiss.

“We’ll get stuck here if we’re not careful” she whispered as they broke away from one another, still clasped in each other’s grips.

He laughed softly and smirked at her “You’re right”

In one swift motion, he tucked one hand under her knees, the other behind her shoulder blades and stood up from the couch, shooting her a smug grin.

“Alright then” she exclaimed with a giggle “Now put me down”

He let go of her legs and her feet swung to meet the floor. He stepped towards the couch and took his jacket from the arm, slipping it back on. She walked over to the wall and picked up the bag, landing it on her shoulder and turned back to face him.

“Shoot!” she whispered and pulled her phone from a pocket on the side of the bag.

“Everything ok?” Scott walked towards her, looking concerned.

“Yeah, it’s fine” she laughed “I need to text Tom to reschedule something”

She typed out a text to him as Scott headed towards the door

‘Going away for a few days, can we reschedule brunch? Love you’

As she pressed send, she slipped the phone back to its pocket and joined Scott next to the door as he turned the handle to open it. They both wandered down the stairs, out of the main door and slipped into the car.

“So…” she started as he began to drive

“Hmmm?” he replied suspiciously

“Your nickname… Scooter. Where did that come from?”

He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Damn, I knew that was coming eventually”

“So where did it come from?”

“In due time… Mouse” he jeered

His words were met with a light slap across his shoulder.

He glanced over to her and she had crossed her arms over her chest and was pouting comically, eyes fixed in front of her.

After a few seconds of attempting to keep a straight face, they both broke into laughter.

She was in for a good time.


	13. Chapter 13

\- Eddie –

He drove them back to the airstrip that they had come from just a few hours again and parked the car in the same area as before. They both stepped out of the car and Eddie took her bag from the backseat.

“I’ll move my bike to a better spot” she said as she turned to walk towards where she’d parked earlier.

“Meet you inside” he replied, heading the opposite way towards the entrance to the building.

Her bag still slung over her shoulders she neared the motorbike, kicked the stand back and wheeled it to the side of the building to keep it out of the way of anyone that might need to park there.

She entered through the doors and saw Scott talking to a man who was sitting at a desk. She thought it best not to interrupt so slipped off her bag, took a seat on a bench next to the wall and took her phone from the pocket it was in.

Tom’s newest message flashed up on the screen.

‘Fine by me. Everything ok?’

This was definitely going to take more than a text message.

She pressed his contact icon and held the phone up to her ear as the dial tone began.

“Hey Ed! How are you?” Tom’s cheerful voice sprang through the phone

“Hey Tommy, I’m really good. I just thought I’d call to explain” she replied

“No need to explain, it’s fine I promise” he assured “Where are you off to?”

She laughed “It’s a long story”

“I’m listening” he sounded intrigued

“In a nutshell, I’m going away with someone I met a few months ago. Really great guy. He came out to see me today and he asked if I wanted to spend some time with him at his place”

“Wow” he sighed “As long as he makes you happy, then I’m happy. Be safe, ok?”

“I will, I promise. He’s incredible. I’ll explain it in more detail when we have brunch”

“I love you Eddie” his tone changed to calm, sentimental almost.

“Love you too Tom”

“Have fun!”

“Will do!” she smiled as the line went silent.

He was the best brother she could have asked for. Always supportive, loving and only ever a phone call away. He tended to worry about her and often reminded her of her father in his caring and somewhat overprotective mannerisms. She slipped the phone back into its pocket and glanced up to see Scott a few metres away from her with a smile on his face.

“Ready?” he asked, extending out a hand to help her up.

“As ever” she replied, taking his hand, and picking up her bag with the other.

Scott guided her through the doors to runway and towards the plane she had seen landing earlier this morning. She watched as he pulled the door open and slid the metal staircase so it met the tarmac with a thud. He turned to face her and smiled as he read the unsure look on her face.

“These are stairs” he teased sarcastically, pointing to the steps he’d just pulled down

She stuck her tongue out at him and started up the stairs “Don’t quit your day job”

“Wasn’t planning on it” he followed her in and pulled the door shut behind him.

He stepped up behind her and slipped the bag off of her shoulders, placing it down on one of the seats situated in the belly of the plane.

He felt him place his strong hands on her shoulders and whisper in her ear to walk to the cockpit, nudging her forward slightly. She shuffled towards the front of the plane and he manoeuvred her to the seat on the left as they reached the control centre. She slipped the seatbelt over her shoulders and clicked it into place. He joined her and sat in the other seat, beginning to flick controls and switches in preparation.

She simply sat in awe of him, it seemed like you needed a PhD in this stuff to know what it all meant.

After a few moments he reached to take the radio from the ceiling.

“Tracy two to Stapleford control, request permission for take-off”

He glanced towards her and smiled before the reply came through the radio

“Tracy two you are clear for take-off, have a safe flight”

He pushed a few more buttons and the plane began to move.

It wasn’t long before they were speeding down the runway, the wheels lifting off the ground and they ascended, climbing high above the skyline of the city. Eddie sat back in the seat and took a breath in, soaking in the moment.

“Good?” Scott turned to look at her as he spoke

“Great” she replied “I see what you mean about the love of flying”

\- Scott -

He simply nodded in reply, turned back and flicked up another control panel in front of him, pressing a few buttons before Virgil’s image flashed up on the console.

“Hey Scott!” Virgil spoke cheerfully

“Hey Virgil, we’ve just left London”

“Glad to hear it” he paused for a moment and glanced off to the left “Max has kicked Grandma out of the kitchen, so you’ll have a decent meal when you arrive”

Eddie let out a small laugh as she heard someone scold Virgil out of view of the projector

He must have heard her as he turned back to face them “Hey Eddie! Looking forward to having you out here”

“Hey Virgil! Looking forward to seeing you as well”

“I’ll call you when we get closer” Scott jumped into the conversation

“Sounds good. Enjoy the flight”

“See ya Virg” Scott replied and closed off the connection, flicking a few more switches and adjusting the controls in front of him.

He was comfortable in this position, at the controls, thousands of feet in the air. Having spent a good majority of his life doing this, it had become some sort of meditation for him to be at the controls of an aircraft.

It took on another meaning entirely for him when someone was with him, too. He had another life to protect other than his own. Whether it was his brothers, a rescue victim or, now, someone new that he was beginning to think that he really truly cared about. He recalled the times he had been involved with other women, whether it was during high school, or his time in the RAF.

None of them had been like her.

They’d been ‘flings’, making sure to never get attached or invested in the relationship (if you could call it that). This felt different. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly what made it feel like that but all he knew was that it did.

“So where do you actually live?” she broke him from his train of thought with the question.

“It’s hard to explain, really. The nature of the operation means we’re pretty far away. You know, secrecy and all”

She cocked her head to the side and paused for a moment, deep in thought.

“An island?” she guessed

“You’re good” he nodded in approval

“Just when I think you’ve reached peak ‘cool’” she gestured air quotes with her fingers on the last word “you go and pull that out of the bag”

He paused. It was definitely an interesting life to lead. While living on an isolated island with your family drove you crazy from time to time, he knew that he trusted them. Even frequently put his life in their hands.

Having an outsider’s perspective was a valuable way to reflect.

As he turned back to look at Eddie, he wondered how long he had been thinking as she had her head rested on the edge of the seat and had closed her eyes. She looked incredibly peaceful. He couldn’t help but crack a smile as he looked back to the horizon.

The massive expanse of cerulean water mixed with a soft pastel blue sky littered with fluffy clouds surrounded him as far as he could see. The views were always incredible at this time of year, and he was secretly glad to have an excuse to take to the skies if not for a rescue. While flying was great, taking in the scenery was equally as fantastic.

He cruised for some time, simply enjoying the sensations of flight.

It wasn’t long before a soft buzz from the navigation control alerted him that they were nearing Tracy Island. It was obviously loud enough to wake Eddie as she stirred in the seat next to him.

“I’m so sorry” she laughed softly and rubbed at her eyes as she adjusted back into a sitting position.

“It’s all good” he replied reassuringly “You must have been tired”

“I think the past few weeks might be catching up with me” she shrugged

“We’re almost there. I might call Virgil quickly before we get there” he smiled, taking a hand and placing it softly on her knee, giving it a squeeze before he flicked on the communication panel again.

Virgil’s image flashed up once again

“ETA 5 minutes” Scott stated

“Sounds good to me. See you in a few” Virgil replied.

Scott steered them towards the Island, watching it grow larger as they came nearer. He quickly gazed over towards Eddie and smiled at her reaction as the details of the Island became more noticeable. They landed and entered the hangar door, closing behind them and darkening the room significantly.

He smiled at her and undid his belt as she did the same, the two walking back through the centre of the plane and exiting as Scott pushed the door open while Eddie swung her bag over her shoulder once again. He took her hand as they walked through to the elevator.

“Ok?” he questioned, suddenly a bit anxious about her meeting his family.

“A bit nervous if I’m honest” she squeezed his hand.

“You’ll be fine, I promise” he leant down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek as the light chime of a bell announced their arrival.


	14. Chapter 14

\- Scott - 

The doors opened into the heart of the living room and sunlight poured into the elevator. Scott gave her hand a squeeze as they stepped out and peered around the corner.

Most of the family sat in various areas around the room, Gordon and Alan at the couches, Grandma at the kitchen bench and Kayo and Virgil enjoying the mid-afternoon sunlight on the deck.

“Scotty!” Alan was the first to notice their arrival, running up to them and tackling Scott in a bear hug.

“Hey sprout” he replied, ruffling Alan’s hair. Trust Alan to be the most enthusiastic upon their arrival.

The rest of the family turned to see the two arrive in the living room.

“You must be Eddie. I’m Alan” he turned to Eddie with an outstretched hand.

“Hi Alan, it’s really nice to meet you” she shook his hand with a smile on her face.

Virgil had made his way from the deck to join the group and approached Eddie with his arms outstretched, wrapping her in a hug. 

“It’s good to see you again” he said as he released her.

“Likewise” she smiled back at him.

“Hi dear, welcome” Grandma Tracy had moved from the kitchen to welcome their newest guest, pulling her into a hug “It’s lovely to meet you”

“Thank you. It’s lovely to meet you too” Eddie replied

As Grandma shuffled back to the kitchen, the group joined Gordon on the couch after they all moved to sit in the lounge area. Alan had made his way to the table in the middle of the kitchen and looked as if he was getting on with his schoolwork. 

As they entered the lounge, Scott took the bag from Eddie’s back and placed it off to the side of one of the seats. As he did this, he heard a faint beeping come from the kitchen and assumed that Max had taken over the cooking duties for dinner and breathed a sigh of relief with the notion.

“I’m Gordon” Gordon stood from the couch and reached to shake Eddie’s hand with a smile.

“Hi Gordon, nice to meet you” she returned the sentiment and shook his hand.

“Good flight over Scott?” Virgil questioned as he took a seat next to his older brother

Scott relaxed back into the couch, Virgil on his right an Eddie on his left, significantly closer than his brother. He felt her shoulder warmly nestled against his and smiled slightly at the contact between them. It seemed that the two of them gravitated towards one another as they often had at least one point of contact, even if they were sat right next to each other. There was an aspect of comfort and protection that he appreciated about it, knowing that she was within touching distance of him 

“Nothing to complain about, but it’s definitely warmer here than England” he joked and shot a sideways glance as Eddie with the sentence.

“Not my fault!” she replied with a laugh, raising her hands in protest.

The rest of the group laughed with them, the weather on the Island was always quite nice. And even on the days where it was rainy or overcast it was still nice to have their own little slice of paradise.

Scott watched as Kayo strode over to the lounge and sat down next to Gordon, opposite from him and Eddie. 

“Hi Eddie, nice to meet you. I’m Kayo” she smiled as she spoke

“Hi Kayo, nice to meet you too”

“What part of England are you from?” Kayo questioned. Scott hadn’t even thought of the mutual aspect of their nationalities and it suddenly clicked with the sentence.

“I live in London but I grew up in Cambridge. I couldn’t bear to get much further away from home if I’m completely honest and London is where our home base is” 

“I haven’t seen much of Cambridge” Kayo noted. “Always was on my list though”

“It’s a great place, worth a trip if you’re over that way” Eddie smiled as she replied

“Will do” Kayo acknowledged.

The moment was broken by a loud crash from the kitchen. Scott and Virgil both sprung to attention and started towards the noise before Kayo interrupted them, holding up a hand.

“It’s ok, I’ll go and help” she walked off to the kitchen, rolling her eyes as she went.

The four sat for a moment, listening for any other unexpected commotions from the group in the kitchen. 

“This place is beautiful” Eddie noted, looking around the room.

“You’ll have to get Scott to take you for a tour!” Gordon piped from the other side of the lounge

“Good idea Gordo, you up for it?” Scott replied, turning to Eddie as he asked the question.

“Of course” she replied with a grin

He promptly stood from the couch, turning to face her and extending a hand, which she took, joining him as she stood too. He grabbed her bag from the floor and swung it over his shoulder.

“We can drop off your bag before we go. I’ll show you to the guest bedroom” he smiled at her, still clutching her hand in his.

“Sounds good to me” she smiled.

“We’ll be back for dinner” he announced to the two still sitting on the couch.

Virgil smiled back at him while Gordon raised his eyebrows and nodded back at Scott with a smirk. He replied by rolling his eyes and turning away from his brothers to head towards the living quarters. Him and Eddie quickly arrived at the guest bedroom and he placed her bag down on the bed.

\- Eddie – 

She stood in awe at the room that they had just walked into. Light beige walls framed a neatly made queen bed at the edge of the room. A floor to ceiling window displayed a panoramic view of the water’s edge and out towards the horizon. She walked closer to the window as she took in the scene in front of her.

“Nice huh?” Scott followed behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder

“Absolutely stunning” she breathed; eyes still fixed on the water.

“Are you looking out the window or into a mirror?” he leaned down and whispered in her ear

“You’re smooth” she replied, spinning around to look at him. 

“Come on then” he grabbed her waist and tugged her towards him, walking backwards to the door.

He walked them down through the house and headed towards the water, clutching her hand in his to lead as they walked. They eventually cleared the bush and reached the edge of the beach.

She stopped for a moment and stood on the sand, enjoying the gentle lapping of the waves touching the shore. Desperate to feel the softness of the ground she bent down and slipped off her shoes and socks, rolling up her jeans before striding towards the water, shoes abandoned behind her.

The gentle sting of the cold water on her feet took the breath from her throat, but the feeling of peace that the moment elicited was worth it. She felt Scott join her, looking down to see that he too had rid himself of his shoes.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve been in the ocean” she spoke, still looking out to the horizon.

He simply wrapped his arms in front of her, crossing them over her chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. She noted how his height allowed him to do this with practically no effort whatsoever. They both stood, enjoying the melodic pace of the waves hitting their ankles.

After a few minutes, they walked from the water’s edge and picked up their shoes, heading back into the bush to continue the tour. 

Scott showed her the tracks that he would often run in the mornings, and she mentioned that she would join him if he would be going out at any point. She’d even packed her running shoes in preparation. He agreed that they would go in the morning and they shared a joke about who would have to drag who out of bed.

He showed her where Gordon sometimes set off on sea swims, and mentioned that these were few and far between, as he much preferred the pool. They walked past a storage shed that housed some old equipment that was rarely used by any of the family members. He explained that they were constantly upgrading the gear they used but would sometimes raid the shed for scraps or spare parts. 

She enjoyed how he spoke fondly of the memories attached to each place, his calm demeanour rubbing off on her as they continued.

He shared more of the memories that the family had created on the Island, from the tracks that they had taught Alan to ride a dirt bike to the hiding spot that he often found John when he spent time earth side. She hoped that she would meet John at some point, Scott spoke fondly of all his younger brothers, but especially John. 

As the light from the sun began to fade, Scott suggested that they make their way back to the house to which Eddie agreed, letting him lead her back with his hand in hers. She noticed that he had been holding her hand the entire time, and she enjoyed the contact that they shared. Knowing that he was right there next to her made her feel safe.

As they neared the house, the sound of light laughter and chatter could be heard. They entered the door near the deck and made their way to the lounge.

“Just in time!” Grandma Tracy announced as they arrived “Alright everyone, let’s have dinner”

Everyone descended into the kitchen and sat around the table, Scott pulling out a chair for Eddie and then sitting next to her. 

As everyone took their seats, she was surprised by a large robot bustling around in the kitchen, beeping away lightly as it moved. Scott obviously read her expression.

“That’s Max. Brains made him, and he tends to help out around the house if he’s not busy in the workshop” he explained

“Brains?” she questioned, confused once again

“That w-would be me” a voice replied behind her “N-n-nice to meet you”

“Hi, nice to meet you too” Eddie acknowledged and shook the man’s hand before he too sat down at the table. 

Once the whole family was seated and all the food had been served, they all began to tuck into the dinner that was in front of them. In between the mouthfuls of food, the boys all managed to throw jokes and comments to one another. 

The essence of family wrapped the room in a warm feeling, reminding her of the family dinners that she once shared with her own parents and siblings, feeling a tinge of sadness despite the cheerful atmosphere. Pushing it down, she decided to focus on the positivity of those sitting around the table.

The Tracy’s were a beautiful family.


	15. Chapter 15

\- Eddie – 

As they finished the meal, the light chatter around the table continued. Each of the boys had gone back for seconds (and even thirds in Gordon and Alan’s cases) and she realised that she’d forgotten what it was like to live with growing boys.

The robot that Scott had earlier introduced as Max began to clear the dishes from in front of them. It wasn’t long before each of them had moved from the table to different areas around the house. 

Gordon and Alan had practically sprinted from the room, both of them yelling at one another about a video game. They disappeared down the hallway and their shouting only ceased with the loud slam of a door. She watched Virgil roll his eyes as the rest of them began to move.

Brains had beckoned Max from the room and they too headed off to their own business.

Scott grabbed her hand under the table and nodded towards the lounge. She stood with him and the pair made their way to the couches. She noticed Virgil making his way to the piano off to the side of the room as Kayo and Grandma Tracy followed her and Scott, joining them in the lounge.

“What is it that you do, Eddie?” Grandma questioned as they made themselves comfortable. Scott had sat down next to her and slumped back into the cushions, obviously full after the meal. She tucked her legs underneath her and leaned towards him, also finding a comfortable position.

“I’m with a section of the British military” she replied

“Wow. You know Scott was in the military too?” the older woman followed

Eddie glanced over towards Scott before returning to the conversation. “Yes, it was actually one of the first things we talked about when we first met” 

“And where did you meet?”

“The Creighton-Ward fundraising banquet a few months ago” she paused for a second and smiled slightly “I have to admit, I felt so out of place when I was there”

“Really?” Scott turned towards her, a look of surprise on his face “You didn’t seem it”

“First time I’d worn a dress in about a year” she added

Kayo smiled “I hear you on that one. They’re just not practical!”

“Right! I’ll take a good pair of jeans over a dress in a heartbeat”

The two girls laughed in mutual agreement. As Eddie looked over towards Scott, he rolled his eyes and feigned nodding off to sleep. She lightly swatted his shoulder in reply, and he smiled, looping his arm over her shoulders comfortably.

The sound of soft piano music began to fill the room as Virgil started to play. She watched as Kayo and Grandma Tracy both looked back to where the sound was coming from before turning back to face her and Scott. 

“What is it that you do, Kayo?” Eddie opened the conversation again

“I run the security side of the operation” the dark-haired woman replied

“Must be a big job?” Eddie replied

“Makes life interesting. Especially having to deal with this lot” she pointed towards the portraits of the boys on the wall to the side of the lounge. She recognised the blue uniforms from when she met Scott in Bolivia and scanned each of the faces in the frames, each with their own coloured sash across their shoulder.

All but one looked familiar and she assumed that was John. 

“Hey!” Scott jeered back at Kayo, breaking her train of thought. 

“Joking!” Kayo defended “Kind of”

Scott narrowed his eyes at her, and she poked her tongue out at him in response.

“Before you two start sparring - I’m going to turn in for the night” Grandma Tracy glanced between Kayo and Scott as she stood up, walking over towards Eddie. “Again, it’s lovely to meet you. If you need anything at all, just let me know”

Eddie returned a warm smile. “Thank you so much”

“Goodnight Grandma!” Scott piped as the woman walked away.

The three in the lounge once again relaxed into the couches. Virgil still sat glued to the piano, the music wafting around them.

“How long have you been in the Military, Eddie?” Kayo asked

“About six years or so” she replied

“And the special forces?” Kayo followed up

Eddie paused for a second, a look of surprise spreading across her face. How did she know her position? She recalled the previous conversation and didn’t remember mentioning anything further.

Scott sensed her confusion. “Kayo does background checks on everyone that visits the Island, just in case”

Eddie relaxed again. It made sense. International rescue was a secret organisation and they needed to protect everyone involved.

“Right. Sorry, I’m not really used to people asking about work” she smiled. “I can imagine you won’t have found much about the specifics of our team?”

“No, nothing at all actually”

“There’s technically no record of our unit due to the types of missions we take on” 

“That makes a lot of sense” Kayo replied, looking as though she was thinking. “Your records showed SAS training and then said nothing more than ‘Military’ from then on”

“I can see how that would be confusing” Eddie smiled at her.

“I’m glad to have an explanation for that then” Kayo smiled in reply “I’m going to head off for the night”

“Really nice to meet you, Kayo” 

“Same to you, and I’ll echo what Grandma said, if you need anything at all – just let me know”

“Thanks, have a good sleep” Eddie replied as Kayo walked from the lounge. She strode down the hallway, the footsteps echoing until they disappeared with a soft click of a door closing.

It wasn’t until now that she noticed the piano had stopped. With everyone else heading to bed she assumed that Virgil had done the same. She noted that she was also starting to get tired and considered retiring for the night soon.

“Sorry, I probably should have warned you about that” Scott took his hand off her shoulder and turned to face her, his lips pursed slightly.

She placed her hand on his leg. “Hey, it’s fine. It makes sense though; you guys need to protect yourself” she looked up at the portraits once again and pointed to the copper-haired brother. “So, I know all these faces except one. Is that John?”

“It is indeed. I should actually check in with him, that way you can meet him too?” Scott suggested.

She simply nodded in reply.

“Tracy Island calling Thunderbird five” 

It was less than a second before a large image appeared in the centre of the lounge. Its slight blue tinge reminded her of the call that Scott had received earlier in the day when he spoke to Virgil.

“Reading you loud and clear Tracy Island” John replied, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing” Scott paused “And to introduce you to someone”

“Oh, hi Eddie” John turned to face her, and she laughed, a grin spreading across her face in curiosity. “I’m John. It’s lovely to meet you”

“Hi John. It’s nice to meet you too” she replied, still amazed at the hologram in front of her

“Hey John!” Virgil bellowed as he sat down abruptly on one of the adjacent couches, taking all of them by surprise.

“Hi Virgil”

“Anything to report from up there?” Scott questioned, steering back to what he had actually called for.

“Nothing on my end” Eddie watched as John flicked a few images around him and noticed that he was floating.

“Thanks John, let us know if anything changes” Scott replied

“F.A.B.” John spoke as his image vanished just as quickly as it had appeared a few moments ago.

“And that’s John” Scott glanced towards Eddie and smiled

“A man of few words” Virgil added, and Eddie laughed softly with the comment.

“Virgil, your piano playing was beautiful” Eddie turned to face the brown eyed brother, noticing his large stature once again. It surprised her that a man this broad and strong could create such incredible music that was gentle and delicate.

Scott squeezed her shoulder and got up from the couch, walking through to the kitchen. 

“Thanks. It’s a sort of stress relief for me in many ways” Virgil replied, leaning back and making himself comfortable against the couch.

“Have you been playing long?” 

“Ever since I can remember” he answered. “I love that there are so many different pieces of music that all come from the same set of notes”

“That’s a very interesting concept” she pondered in reply

“Have you played before?”

She laughed softly at the thought “Not me. Definitely not. My Dad tried to get me into music lessons when I was younger, but it never really stuck”

He joined her in soft laughter. “I’ll have to teach you sometime”

“Sounds good to me” she replied.

As they both heard footsteps returning from the kitchen, Scott rounded the corner to the lounge, clutching three mugs in his hands that looked as if they were full to the brim.

“Hot chocolate anyone?” he announced cheerfully as he set the mugs on the table in the middle of the couches.

They leaned and each took one of the cups, then returning to their previous position. Whipped cream topped the drink, sprinkled with mini marshmallows. Eddie smiled as she took the first sip from her mug. It tasted heavenly.

As she looked back to Scott, she noticed that he had gotten a bit too close to the cream and smeared a blob on the tip of his nose. Grinning at him, she wiped the mark from his face with her thumb to remove it. He replied by leaning towards her and placing a soft kiss on her lips, being careful not to tip over either of their full mugs.

“Ew” Virgil jokingly announced from behind them and as Eddie and Scott pulled away from each other, the three of them erupted into laughter.


	16. Chapter 16

\- Scott - 

He joined Eddie and Virgil, sitting back, and enjoying their drinks as they continued the light conversation. 

He was glad that Eddie was getting along with his family and seemed to be enjoying herself here. It was a tough task for someone to adjust to the craziness of his family and she seemed to be taking it in her stride.

As the mugs became more and more empty, Scott realised that, like the others that had already retired for the night, he was becoming quite tired. He looked over to Eddie and caught her trying to stifle a yawn, and realised she was feeling the same way.

“I don’t know about you two, but I think I’m ready to go to bed” he mentioned, setting his now empty mug on the table in front of them.

“Same here” Virgil echoed

“Mhmm” Eddie hummed in agreement with the two brothers

The trio rounded up the mugs and deposited them into the kitchen sink, deciding that they would deal with them tomorrow morning before they all headed down the hallway to their bedrooms. 

Virgil wished them both goodnight as he slipped into his own room, and Scott took her hand and lead Eddie as they continued past a few more doors, until he stopped in front of his own room. He wrapped his free hand around the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open and walking through the doorway. 

He switched on the lamp next to his desk, illuminating the room with a dim yellow light.

“Home sweet home” he announced

As she dropped her grip on his hand, he turned to watch her wander around his room. 

He’s always prided himself on keeping things in order. A trait that followed him long after he left the military. Even before then, being the oldest, he felt it was important to lead by example. He remembered his father instilling the value of leadership in him from a very young age, perhaps that being the main reason that he trusted him to lead International Rescue in the event that he was no longer around.

Jeff Tracy had always been a good planner.

Amongst the items hung on the walls, a painted rendition of a photo taken of his brothers after their first rescue, his degree from Oxford displayed in a red rimmed frame and the medal of valour he received from the RAF.

He watched her as she paused in front of the medal, scanning it over with her eyes.

“Tell me about your time in the Air Force” she kept her eyes fixed on the object as she spoke

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging his fingers over her the clothing covering her hips. “It’s really not that great of a story”

She spun around and looped her arms around the back of his neck, playing with the short hairs between her thumb and forefinger. He kept his hands placed on her hips securely, enjoying the warmth that filtered through the fabric. He felt her pull his head down towards her and she craned her neck to whisper directly into his ear.

“I’m a great listener” she breathed, the warm air dancing over his ear and making him shiver.

He simply couldn’t take the tension anymore. 

Shifting to get a better grip on her waist, he picked her up and placed his hands around the backs of her legs as she placed them either side of his hips. She tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer until they were merely an inch from each other. 

They both paused, staring deep into one another’s eyes. The specks of green and yellow in her hazel eyes seemed to dance as he studied them. 

She finally closed the gap between their lips, and as they both melded together Scott tracked back towards the bed and sat down, allowing her knees to meet the duvet and both of them to rest. His back faced the large window scaling from floor to ceiling that was replicated in most of the rooms in their house. Her lips were soft and tantalizing and he felt himself melting into the sensation.

As they pulled away, finally pausing for air, she rested her chin on his shoulder and he smiled as she weight pressed onto him.

“The view’s even better at night. How does that work?” she questioned, her voice raspy and still a little breathless.

He laughed softly and stood up, readjusting the grip on her legs to lift her as he walked to the opposite side of the bed and sat back down. Eddie slipped off to the side of him and rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. 

The two sat in silence, looking at the view.

The darkness of night was offset by the moonlight rippling over the waves through the ocean. Rich blacks and blues danced over the water. The stars glistened in the sky, each placed perfectly to complement the others. The trees at the waterline swayed gently with each breath of wind that rippled through them, adding to the movement of the scene.

At that moment, Scott realised that it wasn’t often he just sat and enjoyed the view. He was usually too caught up in the next job that needed to be done or too tired from a rescue. Maybe she was finally getting him to slow down and, for want of a better term, smell the roses.

He focused back into the moment and realised that Eddie had stilled completely, leaning against his side with his arms around her. He listened for a moment and heard her breathing was slow and deep. 

She’d fallen asleep on him. On his bed.

He pondered what to do for a moment before settling on a plan.

He gently lowered her down, so she was laying on her side and placed her head gently on a pillow. He then lifted her legs onto the bed as well so that her entire body was laying on the bed. 

He laughed softly as he looked at her socks. He’d seen them earlier today and assumed that they were simply dark socks with dots on them. However, as he’d lifted her legs onto the bed, he’d noticed that they were actually small cat’s faces in each of the dots. 

The smile stayed fixed on his face as he walked to the desk and switched off the lamp that was lighting the room and glancing at the clock that read 2114, returning to the bed and dragging the blanket that was folded at the end of his bed and carefully climbing to lay behind her, placing the blanket over both of them. He lay his arm on the pillow and rested his head on top of it, his other arm draping over her and tucking between her waist and the duvet. 

He then closed his eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep. The smile lingering on his face.

As he slept, the waves gently lapped at the shore and the night bathed the whole of Tracy Island in a deep, cool, calm air. 

Just as the clock ticked over to 2.30am a loud alarm sounded through the entire building. To the untrained, it was merely a warning system.

To the Tracy boys, it was someone in need. 

The house suddenly sprang to life, Scott jumping from the bed and gesturing to Eddie who had also awoken abruptly and was looking at him with concern.

“Lounge” was all he had time to say before he was out the door and she was close behind him.

They all filed into the living room to John’s image flashing up on the control centre as he spoke.

“International Rescue, we have a situation”


	17. Chapter 17

\- Eddie - 

She followed Scott through the hallway and into the lounge, vaguely aware of the other family members rushing in the same direction. 

She squinted and held her hand in front of her eyes as the bright light from the lounge surrounded her and she walked towards the congregation. They were around the couches, some sitting and some standing, as John’s hologram was speaking to them. Scott noticed her gestured for her to come and stand with them, which she did.

“From what I’m seeing, they’re still on the ledge, but the wind is picking up around them. The glider is at the bottom of the canyon and they have no equipment to attempt to move. Ground crews are at least 7 hours away, so we’re the only option” John read off the facts surrounding the situation.

“Where did you say they were, John?” Virgil questioned, still looking half asleep. Eddie looked around at the rest of the family in the room. 

To her left, Virgil was perched on the side of one of the couches, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. On the left of him, Alan was slumped into the couch and was on the verge of going back to sleep. Gordon was to her right, sitting on one of the steps leading to the lounge area with Kayo standing beside him, focused on what John was saying. Standing right next to her, Scott was wide awake and lasered in on the information being relayed.

“Ok, I’ll take Thunderbird One” he turned to look at his brothers “Virgil, you and Gordon will take Thunderbird Two, and we may need to configure a pod to get to them”

The brothers nodded in approval as they began to move.

Scott quickly turned to her and smiled. “Won’t be long. Promise” he then lunged towards the wall, stopping and backing up underneath two lamps extending from the it. As he reached his hands up to grab them, they extended out and looped around his shoulders. She was sure her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“Thunderbirds are go!” he exclaimed as the panel spun around and he disappeared from view. 

She simply stood, in shock.

As Virgil made his way to a large painting on the other side of the lounge, he too backed up so that he was flush against the wall. The painting suddenly tipped back, and Virgil disappeared from view as well. She noticed that Gordon had also left the lounge while she wasn’t looking.

Obviously, Kayo had read the shock on her face. She stood up and walked towards Eddie, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Welcome to the business end of the Tracy Family” she smiled and gestured for her to sit at one of the couches.

As the tow sat down, Alan sauntered out of the lounge and made his way towards the bedrooms, dragging his feet. Kayo watched him and rolled her eyes. 

“They’re off to Brazil. Two paragliders in the middle of nowhere have managed to get themselves stuck on a ledge hanging over a canyon.” Kayo filled her in with the rest of the details that she’d missed.

A rumbling noise began from underneath the house, breaking Eddie from her focus on Kayo. Chatter erupted through the communications channels that had appeared where John’s image still hovered.

Kayo took her arm and led her out onto the deck, the darkness of night interrupted by beams of light coming from the island. As she scanned the areas that she could see, she noticed that the pool had retracted and was now simply a hole in the ground. The cool air caused the hairs on her arms to stand on end and she shivered slightly.

A loud roar started, and she watched in awe as Thunderbird One erupted from the hole where the pool had been. It took to the sky and soon became a distant, faded light.

Thunderbird Two wasn’t far behind. It warranted a much larger sound and it was soon following in the path of its smaller and quicker sister craft.

Kayo once again took her arm and led her back inside, closing the sliding door behind them. 

“Tea?” she suggested “I’m assuming you won’t be going back to sleep for a while?”

“Yes please” she agreed and pulled out one of the stools, sitting down at the kitchen bench.

“Did you get much sleep?” Kayo asked as she took two mugs from a drawer under the tabletop and flicked the switch on the jug to turn it on.

“Not as much as I would’ve liked” Eddie joked, smiling at the dark-haired woman

Kayo laughed softly “Comes with the territory I’m afraid. We don’t often get calls at this time, but we still respond to them the same”

“Makes sense” Eddie glanced back to the lounge to see John’s hologram showing him scrolling through screens. “How does it work here, then? When they’re on a mission?”

Kayo took the teabags from the mugs and dropped them into the bin, handing Eddie one of the cups and starting towards the lounge, Eddie following behind her.

“John does most of the work from Thunderbird 5. Depending on the situation, we’re here on standby or to offer ideas or solutions” Kayo explained and took a seat on the couch.

“Collaboration” Eddie offered

“Exactly. Most of the time we’ll all be around to bounce ideas off each other. It’s a different story at 3.30 in the morning though.” 

Eddie shared a laugh with Kayo and they both relaxed into the couches.

The rescue went on without a hitch. Not long after they arrived on the scene, Gordon retrieved the two people using a vehicle from the belly of Thunderbird two and dropped them in a safe area for the local authorities to help them from there. Kayo had done her best to explain everything as they went on (with the occasional interjection from John) and Eddie found herself becoming increasingly more confused as time went on.

General chatter filled the line as they went about the rescue, the odd joke or light-hearted insult between the brothers made for interesting listening. As they wrapped up the rescue, Eddie realised that she’d only just finished her cup of tea as Scott announced they were on their way back. 

They definitely knew what they were doing.

As the clock hit 4.45am the sound of what Kayo had informed her were ‘VTOL’ engines grew louder, announcing the arrival of the two craft that had been utilised. John remained with the two girls in the lounge, filling them in on other information and continuing a conversation with Kayo that had been cut off by Virgil earlier.

It was 5am before the three brothers appeared back in the lounge, wearing the clothes that they had left in before they’d changed into their uniforms. They smiled as they laid eyes on Kayo and Eddie sitting in the lounge, who had made yet another cup of tea and were waiting for their return.

“Well done boys” Kayo piped as they strolled into the living room.

“Thanks Kayo” Gordon replied before he yawned, letting out a loud groan as he did so “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a sign that I should go back to bed” 

Scott and Virgil both rolled their eyes as their blond-haired brother turned and walked away.

\- Scott – 

He smiled as he looked back towards where Kayo and Eddie were sitting, somewhat surprised that they had stayed up while they were out.

“I’m going to do the same” Kayo announced and stood from the couch, heading down the hallway. “Good morning all”

They all laughed, and Virgil followed behind Kayo.

Eddie stood from the couch and walked towards Scott with a smile. “I don’t know about you, but I’m very tired” 

“Even more tired than when you fell asleep on my bed?” he joked

“Funny” she smirked at him. “But yes”

“You’re welcome to join me again” he suggested “the sunrise from my room is always phenomenal”

“Isn’t it the same sunrise from anywhere in the house?” Eddie looked back at him, feigning confusion.

“You’re right. But you’d get to share a bed with me” Scott raised his eyebrow cunningly.

“Sold” she paused for a moment “But let me get changed first? Jeans aren’t the most comfortable to sleep in”

He smiled as he looked back at her and took her hand. The two made their way down the hallway and he turned into his room as Eddie continued towards the guest room. 

He sat on the bed and ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. This wasn’t exactly how he envisioned the time she would spend with him on the Island, but then again, when did anything fit perfectly to the plans he made?

A few minutes later, he heard a light tapping on the door and opened it to see Eddie standing in the doorway wearing an oversized black t-shirt and shorts. He vaguely recognised the logo on the shirt from a band he remembered listening to in high school, but the tired fuzziness of his brain stopped short of any thought processing he could usually manage.

As she walked into his room, he shut the door behind them and moved towards the bed. She’d walked to the other side and was looking out the window again as he got in under the duvet. She followed suit and they fell into the same position they had been in a few short hours ago.

“I’m really glad you’re here” he whispered as they both relaxed in each other’s arms.

“I’m glad I’m here with you” she echoed.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and it wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

\- Scott – 

As he opened his eyes, the light flooded into view. He squinted and shied from the window, avoiding the stream of bright light assaulting his vision.

“Good morning sleepyhead” Eddie whispered

She had turned to face him and was blinking at him sleepily, her head still laid heavily on the pillow. The light shining from behind her illuminated around her head and shone against her mousy-brown hair.

“Good morning to you too” he replied, a smile spreading across his face.

He moved his arm from across her waist and traced her jawline softly with the tip of his fingers. Her skin beneath his hand was soft and warm, shining under the sun low in the sky.

“Sleep well?” he asked

“Yeah” she smiled “You?”

“Great”

The two lay together, enjoying the calm stillness as they took in the other’s presence. 

“What’s the time?” he asked, breaking the silence while still dragging his fingers over her cheeks and jaw.

She craned her neck to look at the clock behind him. “Quarter to ten”

“We should probably get up then” he smirked

She snaked her hand over his waist and manoeuvred it towards his shoulder blades, slipping it under his shirt as she moved. Her fingers rippled over his skin and he felt himself shudder under her touch. 

Her velvety touch was intoxicating.

All of a sudden, she stopped, withdrawing her hands and propping herself up on the pillows. She looked him in the eyes and shrugged her shoulders “You’re probably right”

“You’re such a tease” he joined her, sitting up in the bed.

“Don’t lie, you love it” she replied, leaning forward and placing a short sharp kiss on his lips.

He watched her as she stood up and walked towards the door before opening it and turning towards the guest room. As she left the room, he smiled and ran his hands through his hair, reflecting on what had happened the night before and earlier this morning.

\- Eddie – 

She walked into the guest room and took the crisp white towel that had been placed at the end of the bed, heading towards the ensuite. 

As she showered, she remarked on the events of the past day and smiled. The cherry on top was spending the night in Scott’s bed. Twice. It was a big cherry.

After she had finished in the bathroom and dried off, she changed into blue jeans and an oversized white sweater before making her way back down the hallway to the lounge.

She was greeted by Grandma Tracy who pulled her into a tight hug.

“Morning dear! Did you sleep well?” she asked as she pulled her towards the dining table. Breakfast was set out on the tabletop, an array of toast, fruit, eggs, bacon and a fresh pot of coffee.

“I slept great, thank you” she smiled at the older woman and sat down at the table.

Virgil sat across from her, Kayo on his left and Alan on his right. All had a plate in front of them and were working their way through the food piled on top of it.

“You get to sleep okay after the rescue?” Virgil asked, scooping a few pieces of mango into his mouth.

She smiled at him “Yeah I did. Yourself?”

He swallowed harshly before answering “No problems here”

Light footsteps from behind her caused her to look behind her and she watched as Scott entered the room and strode to the dining table, pulling a chair up beside her.

“Good morning” he turned to her and smirked.

“Good morning” she returned, smiling as she felt his hand on her thigh followed by a gentle squeeze.

Light conversation surrounded their breakfast and it wasn’t long before they had cleared most of the food from the table. 

When Eddie asked where Gordon was, Scott had pointed out that he was swimming laps in the pool as he did every morning, remarking that he was basically a fish, to which all present agreed. 

After they finished the meal, Alan had retreated to his corner of the lounge to continue his lessons, Virgil had headed off to the workshop and Kayo went to the office to attend a video conference. As everyone left the room, Scott turned to her with a smile.

“What’s the plan for today then, Scotty?” she joked

He pouted at her and swivelled on the chair so that she could only see the back of his head as he crossed his arms over his chest with a loud huff.

She laughed and picked up the empty coffee cup that she had just taken the last sip from, walking towards the kitchen and depositing it in the sink. He followed closely behind her and did the same with his cup, sculling the last mouthful as he walked.

“How about a swim?” he suggested, stepping to the side of her so they were shoulder to shoulder.

She looked through the large windows surrounding the room they were in and took note of the sun-soaked horizon. It was definitely the right weather for a swim.

“You bought a swimsuit, right?” he bit his bottom lip as she turned back to face him, simply nodding in reply. “Good. I’ll see if anyone else wants to join us too”

They were interrupted by the sound of wet footprints tracking through the tiled floor of the lounge.

“Morning all!” Gordon announced as he entered the room.

“Gordon. You’re wet” Scott looked at him disapprovingly.

“Great observation, Scott” he replied as he walked further into the kitchen, taking an apple from the fruit bowl and hacking a large bite from it.

Scott simply sighed in defeat and shook his head, turning to Eddie “You see what I have to deal with?”

She covered her mouth with her hand and stifled her laugh, albeit unsuccessfully. When she looked back at Gordon, hair still soaked and large droplets of water trailing from him, pooling on the floor, she couldn’t help but let out an even larger chuckle. 

Scott jokingly elbowed her in the shoulder and rolled his eyes with a smile “You’re supposed to be on my side”

“Sorry” she replied and pursed her lips to keep from laughing again.

“Water’s great today” Gordon noted as he took another chunk from the apple.

“We were actually planning on going for a swim” Scott replied

A grin spread across Gordon’s face as he heard Scott speak. “When?”

“Not long, probably” Scott returned “We were going to see if anyone else wanted to join us”

“I’ll go and ask around for you” 

“Cheers” Scott smirked at his brother.

With Scott’s sentence, Gordon turned to head towards the deck. The water still tracking behind him causing his feet to squeak with each step. Eddie stifled another grin as he walked away.

“He’s a character” she noted as he turned to face her

“That he is” he sighed

“Shall we get changed then?” she suggested

“Yeah, he’ll probably end up convincing everyone to join us” Scott spoke as they began to walk to the bedrooms. “He’s not the sharpest, but he’s definitely the most persuasive, I’ll give him that”

Eddie smiled as they parted. Scott went to his room and she returned to the guest room.

\- Scott – 

He pulled the dark blue pair of swim trunks from the drawer and changed into them. As he pulled open the door, he grabbed a towel from the rail behind his door and slung it over his shoulder.

Glancing down the hallway, he noticed that the door to the guest bedroom was still closed. He paused for a second. Making the decision, he walked the few steps before he was face to face with the closed door.

He paused again, took a breath and knocked lightly on the door.

“Just a second” he heard her chime through the door. He stepped back and leaned against the wall to the side of the doorframe.

“Coming swimming?” Virgil’s voice boomed from behind him, surprising him.

“Yeah. Gordon ask you?” Scott asked, playing off how much his heartrate had suddenly increased with the sudden arrival of his brother.

“Mhmm” Virgil hummed in agreement. “I’m just going to get changed. I’ll meet you there”

Virgil ducked into his room and the door shut behind him. 

Just as Virgil’s door clicked shut, Eddie’s door opened just a crack.

“Is the coast clear, Corporal?” she whispered through the slit in the doorway

“Coast all clear, Sergeant” he replied.

As she stepped through the door, he fought to keep his eyes from wandering but was unsuccessful. She was dressed in a sleek black bikini, only holding a towel in her left hand. The toned and muscular structure of her body was immediately noticeable. He caught her gaze as she too traced his body with her eyes before they both pulled themselves back to the moment. 

As they made their way down the hallway, Virgil emerged from his room, decked in his signature green trunks. Scott swore that he’d been wearing them since he was six, even though he’d grown 5 times the size in that time.

They all reached the pool to find Gordon and Alan already splashing around in the shallow end. 

Grandma had perched herself underneath one of the umbrellas and was halfway through a novel.

Alan squealed as Gordon pushed his head under the water as they neared the edge of the pool. Scott rolled his eyes and sighed at the youngest brothers while Virgil let out a loud laugh. 

As they all dropped their towels near Grandma and stepped towards the pool, he heard Kayo yell out the window of the office, one floor above them.

“I’ll be down soon! Don’t have too much fun!” and the window closed behind her. Scott noted that she must be close to finishing the call.

He sat on the edge of the pool and Eddie came to join him, sitting on his right-hand side.

Virgil bypassed the subtlety and dove straight into the water, narrowly missing landing on one of the young blond brothers as they both screamed.

Eddie laughed beside him as he squinted, hatching an idea inside his head.

Before she had time to react to what he was about to do, he grabbed both of her arms and flung her into the water with a large splash. He heard a chorus of laughter as she popped her head above the surface of the water with a scowl on her face.

She obviously had a plan as well and before he knew it, she’d grabbed his ankles and he was hurtling into the water alongside her.


	19. Chapter 19

\- Scott – 

She seemed to be enjoying herself. Even after he had pushed her into the water.

As the mid-afternoon sun beat down onto Tracy Island he simply let go and enjoyed the moments he was spending with her and his family. He admitted that he often got too caught up in business affairs and neglected the need to simply be.

Kayo had joined them not long after her video call and proceeded to take the Virgil route into the pool, diving in abruptly as his brother had earlier.

As he watched all of them while they were in the pool, he couldn’t help but notice Eddie. She’d taken his breath away when they met in the hallway not long ago and he kept sneaking glances at her every chance he could. 

The thing that caught his eye was the scar on her shoulder. When he noticed that, suddenly he noticed the myriad of others that she wore. Not large, but enough to have been significant. He knew that her line of work was dangerous, but how dangerous? Even in the little time that they had gotten to know each other, he’d begun to care for her and needed to make sure she was safe.

He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

For now, he would settle for dunking a bucket of water over Alan’s head.

\- Eddie – 

She enjoyed the casual, entertaining nature that the brothers seemed to carry through whatever they were doing. She noticed that Gordon still cracked jokes whether they were in a critical situation or they were just hanging out. Alan modelled himself of Gordon most of the time. Virgil was an observant type. He would often gauge the situation and then have his input – which was well thought out.

Then there was Scott. 

He was methodical and passionate. Two things that would often not be seen together but that encapsulated him perfectly. A leader through and through.

She watched him as they bobbed in the water, his shoulders adorned with droplets of water. The muscular physique he wore was not lost on her, and she admitted that she had gawked at his clearly defined abs when she’d first emerged from her room not long ago. 

She had paused when she noticed the various scars that he also wore, imagining the stories that each of them told and what he had been through to have so many. 

Gordon broke her from her daydream as he flung a beachball at her and it bounced off her forehead.

“Sorry” he gritted his teeth and apologized sheepishly

She furrowed her brow and dove under the water, kicking to where she could see Gordon’s ankles frantically trying to escape. Before he could escape, she took hold of them and dragged him under the water as she surfaced.

“Payback” she turned to Virgil and watched as he laughed, hearing Gordon huff as he reappeared.

After an afternoon of modified volleyball in the pool, sunbathing on the deck and various backhanded jokes between the brothers they retired to the house as the sun began to set, knowing that dinner would soon follow.

During dinner, Scott suggested that the two of them take a walk to the waterfront again, to which she agreed. Any reason to see more of the island and of him.

\- Scott - 

As the family filtered out from dinner, the pair donned walking shoes and set off through the various tracks as they had done the previous day.

They stopped at a small bay and perched next to one another on a large rock, their legs both dangling over the short ledge that led to the water. Scott turned away from Eddie and reached into his pocket, pulling out a brown paper bag and turning back to face her.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands” he instructed

She closed her eyes and offered her outstretched palms to him, smiling “If you put anything living in my hands I’m getting in the ocean and swimming home right now”

“I guess the starfish is out of the question then?” he joked

She quickly withdrew her hands and balled them close to her chest before he let out a chuckle.

“I’m just kidding. Come on” he took her hands and stretched them out in front of her once more.

She let him take her hands and screwed up her face when he placed two of the objects from the bag into her cupped hands.

“Should I be scared?” she asked, still looking confused.

“No. You’ve got 19 questions left” 

“So, this is a game to you?” she laughed as he remained silent “Can I eat it?”

“Yes”

“Hmm” she paused. He watched her eyes move underneath her eyelids, deep in thought.

“Do you want a clue?” he suggested

“No. Now I’m determined” she rolled the small spheres in the palm of her left hand, lightly tracing them with the fingertips of her other hand. Before he could react, she took one of them and placed it in her mouth.

“That’s cheating!” he exclaimed

“You never explained the rules” With her eyes still closed, she smiled in his direction. “Chocolate-covered almond”

“You’re good” he replied

She smirked as she opened her eyes. He held the bag out and offered her another as she reached in and took it in her hand.

They sat on the rock and watched the waves gently roll to the shore. He remembered why he’d originally suggested taking a walk. Just as he opened his mouth to ask a question, she beat him to it.

“Can I ask you something?” she kept her eyes fixed on the water.

“Sure” he breathed, thrown off somewhat by the interruption of his thoughts.

She paused for a moment before she spoke “Your missions. How dangerous are they?” 

“Most of the time they’re pretty straightforward. But sometimes they get a bit…” he paused as he adjusted his position on the rock “…risky”

She sighed and shifted her gaze to look at the horizon.

“Why do you ask?” he followed up

“I wasn’t trying to be nosy I promise. When we were in the pool, I saw…” her voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“Scars?” he turned to look at her and filled in the word he guessed was left off.

“Yeah” she breathed, furrowing her brow in thought “How did you know?”

He reached a hand to her face and cupped her face gently, pulling her to face him as they locked eyes.

“I was thinking the same thing” he sighed

He watched her eyes widen as he finished the sentence

“You were?”

“Yeah. I knew your job was dangerous, but it took me off guard” he managed a small half smile.

“I could say the same” she replied, scanning his eyes with her own. 

They sat for a moment, gazing into each other’s eyes with the low light of the sunset bathing them in a golden glow. He watched as the corners of her eyes curled as she smiled.

“You’ve got me falling for you, Scott Tracy” she finally spoke as she lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder.

“And you, Eddie Reid, have me head over heels for you” he replied and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Their lips locked together and the warm touch of her skin on his ignited butterflies in the bottom of his stomach. Her nose brushed over his as they shifted, plunging deeper into each other’s embrace.

Eventually succumbing to the need for oxygen, they broke apart before snuggling into the arms of the other, looking towards the panoramic view that surrounded them. He looped his arm around her shoulders as she rested her head on the edge of his shoulder.

“I hope you’ve never been shot” Eddie suddenly spoke, catching Scott off guard once again.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he laughed

“In your line of work – I wouldn’t expect you to get shot” 

“You’re right” he shook his head, clicking onto what she meant. “It’s usually pieces of buildings or machinery that does it” 

“That makes a lot of sense” she answered, nuzzling into the crook of his shoulder.

“I can’t imagine what it must be like to get shot” he hesitated “I’ve been near guns but, honestly, I hate the things”

“It’s not nice, I can tell you that”

He tensed up upon hearing that statement. The knowledge that she, right next to him, the person that he had come to know and care for had been in such a threatening situation ignited a protective fire within him. One that he usually only felt when one of his brother’s was in danger.

He gripped her shoulders a little tighter.

“It’s ok” she looked up at him reassuringly. “I’m ok”

He pulled her forward and placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. As he released her, he felt her shiver slightly with the cool evening air.

“Should we head back up?” he suggested

She smiled at him as he held out a hand to help her up “Still can’t get that past you, can I?”

They shared a laugh as they started back down the track they had come from. They walked, hand in hand. He felt Eddie gently squeeze his hand and he did the same in return.

“What’s your brother like?” he asked as they walked “You know my family and I feel like I don’t know anything about yours”

“Tom?” she laughed softly. “He’s a bit of a goof if I’m honest”

“Sounds like someone I know” Scott replied

“I swear he has two left feet, he’s probably the most uncoordinated person that I know. And he knows it” she rolled her eyes and smiled

“What does he do again?”

“He’s a doctor” 

“So, you’re the ugly duckling of the family?” he jeered, a smirk on his face

“Rude” she huffed at him and slapped him lightly across the chest before he placed his arm over her shoulders and pulling her to his side, keeping the stride as they walked.

They both smiled as they walked, heading into the house and towards the bedrooms. It seemed as if everyone had already gone to bed so they happily continued through the belly of the house.

“Joining me tonight?” he asked as they walked through the lounge.

“Sure you want the ugly duckling with you?” she joked in reply

“More than anything”

“Give me a minute then” 

She disappeared into the guest room as he walked through the door into his own room and changed into his shorts and t-shirt that he normally wore to bed.

As he heard a tapping on the door, he opened it and Eddie entered, heading directly to the side of the bed that she had awoken in that morning. He followed her in, turning off the light as he climbed under the covers.

“Ah!” she exclaimed as he touched his feet to the back of her calves “Your feet are freezing!”

They both laughed as they settled into the bed, Scott looping his arm around her waist and nuzzling his chin into the corner of her neck. She placed her hands over his and traced her fingers over his knuckles. He relaxed and felt the tension fade from his body.

“Goodnight” he breathed 

“Goodnight”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written a story that I didn't think fit the overall feel of this one but is still incorporated into the morning after. Chapter 20 will lead on after it! (it doesn't have any effect on the story as a whole, it's just a bit too explicit to put in this one) :)


	20. Chapter 20

\- Scott - 

They lay together in bed with the sun streaming in through the window, illuminating the horizon outside and displaying the natural beauty of the island.

He rolled over to face her and smirked before he spoke “Shower?”

“Hmmm…” she pouted as she thought

“What?” he propped himself on one of the pillows and tilted his head in question

“What about a run?” she suggested, sitting up with one of her hands behind her.

He agreed and soon they were both out of bed. Eddie slipped on Scott’s dressing gown and headed towards the guest room, turning to look back at him before she walked away. She looked adorable in the robe that was about four sizes too big for her, dragging on the floor behind her as she shuffled out of his room

It wasn’t long before they were dressed and on their way to the beginning of one of the running trails that Scott had created years earlier. They jogged out the door and past the pool, where Gordon was in the middle of his morning session, so engrossed that he didn’t even realise them running past.

Scott lead the way, winding their way up the mountain behind the villa. Eddie remained by his side, to which he was impressed. He always prided himself on his physical fitness and to have someone that could keep up with him was a welcome surprise. As much as Virgil liked to think that he could keep up, Scott always found himself taking it a bit slower when he had his broad younger brother in tow.

They kept a light conversation as they ran, covering things like native plants and animals, where they all went to school, and even the spot that Alan broke his wrist when Gordon had pushed him out of a tree, which Scott pointed out as they ran past.

As they reached a clearing marking the peak of the ascent, they paused and took in the view. Ocean as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by the smaller neighbouring island which Scott explained was Mateo Island and housed their backup generator.

They began back down the mountain, enjoying the odd joke as they ran. About halfway down, Eddie turned to him with a mischievous smile, piquing his interest.

“What are you about to say?” he pre-empted the suggestion 

She picked up speed and he realised immediately what she was up to.

“Race you to the bottom!” she yelled over her shoulder as he followed, hot on her heels.

He reached the bottom at her shoulder, half a stride behind her. She turned to him once more with a sly smirk on her face.

“Don’t even say it” he rolled his eyes

“I won’t then” she shrugged, smiling as they walked back towards the house. To their side, Gordon was still in the pool and managed to stop for a moment to wave to them, quickly returning to his stroke.

As they headed into the kitchen, Alan was up as well, still dressed in his pyjamas. Scott grabbed two glasses from a drawer and filled them with water before handing one to Eddie and gulping the other down in seconds.

Alan looked at them both sideways and scoffed “I can’t believe you actually enjoy running”

“It’s liberating, Sprout” Scott replied, reaching a hand forward and ruffling Alan’s blond hair.

Alan looked up at his eldest brother and shot up and eyebrow. He tilted his head and craned around to look at the side of Scott’s neck before an exasperated look spread across his face.

Realisation ran through Scott’s mind as he reached to cover the small bruise on his neck.

“Shaving rash” he tried desperately to explain the mark, but from the impish look gracing Alan’s face he was unsuccessful.

“I didn’t say anything” Alan replied, turning to walk towards the direction of the bedrooms, hearing him scoff lightly as he walked.

Scott turned back to Eddie with a look of defeat. She had a hand lifted to her mouth and was frantically trying to supress her laughter as her cheeks turned red.

“I’m dead” he shrugged

She simply looked back at him, unsure as to whether she should laugh or adopt a solemn composure before he too began laughing.

“I’m going to have a shower” she spoke, setting her glass next to the sink.

“And I’m wearing a collared shirt today” he followed as they both walked towards their rooms as they both laughed softly.

\--------------

The rest of the day was filled with another walk around the Island, this time with Virgil and Kayo walking beside them, a dip in the pool and dinner, once again created at the hands of Max and Grandma Tracy. The height of Scott’s collar drew no attention from anyone else, and they were both glad that no-one questioned the small bruise he sported.

When they retired that night, Scott once again invited her to sleep in his bed, to which she agreed. They slept easily, relaxed in each other’s arms.

\-------------

Over the next two weeks, Tracy Island was buzzing with activity. There was something about having a guest that made everyone want to keep busy and show off their own little piece of paradise. While Eddie spend most of her time with Scott, the rest of the family would steal her from time to time.

Gordon showed her the rockpools at the inlet, proudly rattling off names of each of the critters as he found them. At once point he picked up a starfish and placed it in her hand, touching the very tips of it and watching as pulsations rippled through its body. He chuckled as she winced in disgust, proceeding to place the creature back in its home. 

Alan dragged her away one afternoon and challenged her to a game of ‘Desert Rangers’. While she barely knew the aim, she quickly picked up the various controls and was soon counting herself as a formidable opponent – still not claiming a victory over the youngest Tracy brother. She promised that it would eventually happen, even if it meant her installing the game at her apartment to improve her skills and vowed to arrange a rematch.

Kayo had taken her on a walk which quickly turned into a session of mountain climbing. Eddie had rolled her eyes when the darker-haired woman had pulled harnesses from her backpack and kicked herself for not picking up on it sooner. Who took a backpack on an afternoon stroll, anyway? They scaled a large face of the mountain and returned to the villa exhausted, covered in scrapes but with plenty of inside jokes and exclusive knowledge on the Tracy boys.

Virgil had kept his promise and taught her to play the piano. An extremely foreign concept at first, but with his gentle and persistent coaching she learnt the basic tune to a few slow ballads. After dinner that night, they had both recited a number of pieces, Eddie with the easier parts of the song and Virgil dancing his fingers expertly over the keys to create melodies. Apart from a few pitchy notes, the pair performed well, being met with a round of applause from the audience as they bowed from the stool behind the piano.

Grandma Tracy bundled her into the kitchen and began to explain her famous cookie recipe, which, to Eddie’s surprise, contained an awful lot of salt. She recalled being explicitly told by all other members of the family to avoid her cookies at all costs, so she was happy to recall a recipe that she had been taught when she was younger. As the time passed while they were in the oven, a number of surprised Tracy boys filed into the kitchen, entranced by the smell. When the cookies were finally finished, they had practically been inhaled amongst comments of ‘finally edible’ baking being produced, which landed them all a smack across the head and a stern look from the matriarch of the family.

Brains had even whisked her away at one point, Max wheeling along beside him. He proudly displayed a new fabric that he was producing that had the ability to temperature regulate. When he noticed her confusion at the seemingly basic property of clothing, he demonstrated the tiny heating and cooling system inlaid within the fibres of the fabric, placing a section of it around her wrist and clicking the control panel. She felt it warming over her skin before it dropped drastically in temperature, to the point that she needed to slide it off to stop the numbing sensation. She remarked the incredible engineering and his eyes lit up, speeding off to grab an armful of other contraptions and explaining them in detail.

John had often called in for a chat in the evenings and she enjoyed his quip and sense of humour. While most of the times he called were for rescues, his demeanour was particularly calming, and she could see him being the mediator of the family. She hoped to meet him in person someday.

Through all of this, they were often called away on rescues. Anything from space stations falling out of orbit to a deep-sea clean-up gone awry. She was always impressed by their professionalism and drive through the tasks and was continually reminded that age didn’t necessarily dictate experience or skill, particularly in Alan’s case. It was a shame their entire operation was a secret as he definitely would hold the record for the youngest person to pilot a spacecraft.

Scott and Eddie spent most of their time together – walking, talking, joking and challenging. Their personalities complemented one another so much so that they were never bored.

When they had decided the day that he would fly her back to London, a twinge of sadness accompanied her reply. She knew that she needed to get back to work, yet they had reached a sense of normalcy on the Island. Quickly pushing it down, she made sure to focus on the time that they had left together.

Her final night with them was wonderful. The boys had returned from a particularly difficult rescue mid-afternoon and dinner was served not long after. 

At one point, an overtired Alan began poking fun at his older brothers and Kayo kicked him in the shin lightly under the table, causing him to flail his arm and smack Gordon directly in the chest. Warm laughter filled the room from all but the two youngest blond brothers.

At the end of the night, Eddie climbed into the same spot next to Scott that she had been occupying during her stay. They reflected on their time together on the Island and logistics of their trip to London the following morning.

As they fell asleep a light rain began to fall upon Tracy Island, patting gently on the tin roof and echoing through the room. She smiled fondly as she realised it was the first time it had rained since she had arrived.

The smile still lingering on her face, she drifted off to sleep, relaxed and safe in his arms.


	21. Chapter 21

\- Eddie - 

As she woke, rolling over to meet his gaze, the sound of light rain on the roof reverberated through the room just as it had before they fell asleep the night before. 

Scott hummed quietly as he opened his eyes, noticing unusual weather that had descended on the island.

“Morning” she whispered, laying a soft kiss on his lips.

“Morning” he replied as she pulled away.

They rolled out of bed and headed to their respective bathrooms. Eddie, after showering, decided that the cool temperature warranted more layers than most other days and slipped into the outfit she’d mentally prepared while she was drying off. 

They met in the hallway and walked through to the lounge where most of the family was having breakfast. She noticed that Gordon had dry hair this morning.

“No swimming this morning, Gordon?” she questioned as they sat down at the table.

“Not when it’s this cold outside” he replied.

She laughed at his response “I wouldn’t suggest coming to London then. This is warm for us”

He screwed up his face and shivered before returning to his plate.

After they had finished breakfast, Scott headed to the hangar to run some checks with the plane before they left and Eddie went to pack the last few things into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and doing a quick sweep of the room to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind.

As she walked back into the lounge, Grandma Tracy met her and bound her into a tight hug. After she released her, she placed her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders and held her at an arms-length.

“It’s been really nice to have you here, Eddie” 

“Thank you for everything. It’s been really great” she smiled 

“You come back sometime, ok?” the Tracy family matriarch raised her eyebrows in question.

“I’ll do my best” 

Virgil then walked through the doorway into the living room and placed a hand on the edge of her shoulder.

“Take care of yourself, alright?” he spoke

“I will, thank you Virgil” 

“We need to have another piano lesson at some point” he walked up beside her and looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes. She once again was surprised that someone so strong and staunch could act so kind and warm.

“That I can do” she smiled back at him.

She threw the bag back over her shoulder that she’d dropped when Grandma Tracy had practically tackled her and the three of them headed towards the hangar entrance, Alan joining them on the way.

They walked into the hangar, which she’d been in a few times during her visit. It was a partitioned hangar, one side with the private aircraft that they would use for business and personal trips. The other side housed Thunderbird 2, the two areas being separated with a large retractable wall. Scott had shown her the fantastic craft, only from a distance though. They were complicated and he explained that she wouldn’t have been able to see much as they only allowed the pilots or operatives in them for security reasons, other than on a rescue of course. She understood and settled for a tour from afar.

Gordon was pestering Scott as he ran through the last checks, following behind him like a lost kitten. Brains emerged from underneath the plane and wiped his brow with the back of his hand, grinning at them as they entered.

As the group strode towards the plane, Scott noticed them, obviously glad to have a reason to palm Gordon off to someone else. 

“We’re gonna miss you” Gordon pulled Eddie into a brief hug before joining his younger brother with the rest of the group.

“I’ll miss you too, Squiddie” she joked. The two of them had gotten along really well, often enjoying a few jokes here and there.

Scott walked up behind her and looped an arm around her shoulder “Ready?” 

She nodded back at him and he gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing his arm and turning towards the door of the plane.

A chorus of goodbyes rang from the crowd gathered near the edge of the hangar as she followed Scott into the aircraft, and he secured the door behind her. They both made their way to the cockpit and sat down in the seats they had occupied two weeks ago.

“Promise I won’t fall asleep on you this time” she mentioned as he flicked a few switches on the control panel, hearing him laugh as she finished her sentence.

“This’ll help then” he answered and handed her a large flask. She twisted open the lid and strong smell of coffee immediately wafted through the space.

“You’re the best” she turned and grinned at him.

As Scott tilted the yoke forward, so it was in front of him, they began moving and Eddie took one last chance to peer out the window. The whole group that were left in the hangar were waving towards the cockpit and she smiled at the sentiment, waving back at them and hoping that they saw her. Once they were out of view, she returned her gaze to the front of the plane and settled back into the seat.

“Tracy two you are clear for take-off” Virgil’s voice surprised her as it came through the comms channel “Have a safe flight”

“Thanks Virgil” Scott replied

Soon they were over the ocean, the vast expanse of blue the only visible landscape across the horizon. 

They kept themselves entertained by making jokes, quizzing each other on the most obscure pieces of knowledge they knew and playing various games they recalled from childhood car trips.

About halfway through the trip, a small icon appeared on the control panel and Scott pressed it, John’s blue-tinted holographic image flashing up before them. 

“Hey John” Scott greeted his younger brother

“Hey Scott, how are you guys doing?” 

“All good here” Eddie noticed a sly smile spread across his face “Say, what’s the capital of Christmas Island?”

“That’s cheating!” Eddie exclaimed, turning to him with a look of surprise “John, don’t answer that”

“Nice to see that you too are keeping busy” John rolled his eyes and shook his head

Scott laughed lightly, poking his tongue out at Eddie before turning back to his copper-haired brother “What can we do for you John?”

“Just letting you know that Kayo’s back on the Island”

“Thanks. Anything to report?” 

“Nothing as of yet. The GDF hasn’t gotten any further either so it’s just a waiting game. I’ll do some digging on my end and let you know” she watched as John flicked through some screens out of view of the projector.

“Thanks John. Keep me updated”

“FAB” John replied “And it’s Flying Fish Cove” 

John’s image disappeared from the control centre before either of them had the chance to reply. Eddie sighed loudly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Flying Fish Cove?” Scott looked at her, confusion flooded over his face.

“Of course he would know” she replied, throwing her hands up in front of her in defeat.

“I guess that’s us even now that you beat me down the mountain?” Scott suggested, a sympathetic grin on his face as he looked towards her. 

“Fine” she surrendered. 

As they were on final approach to Stapleford airfield, there was light rain that began to hit the windshield of the plane, and Eddie turned to Scott as he sported an unimpressed frown on his face.

“Hey, I promised good company, not good weather” she spoke as she shrugged her shoulders.

They landed and just as they had the previous time that they were here together, they proceeded towards the main tower after climbing out of the belly of the plane. They huddled to the side of the building and Eddie prepared to say her goodbye to him, suddenly apprehensive for him to leave.

He noticed her hesitation and cocked his head slightly “You didn’t think I was going to just leave you here, did you?”

She furrowed her brow in question “What do you mean?”

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and started to walk towards the parking area. She stopped him after a few steps, putting her hand on his forearm.

“You don’t have to come back with me” she commented.

“I don’t have to. But I want to” he smiled.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. This was a battle she was unlikely to win and, to be fair, she didn’t want to win anyway. 

“Well I’ve got to take my bike back” she noted, pulling her set of keys from a pocket of her bag.

“I’ll meet you there” he replied with a smirk.

As they reached to their respective vehicles, she shot him a smile and took her helmet from the locked compartment at the back of the motorbike and slipped it on. As she turned the key, she heard his car too roar to life and they soon took to the road.

When they reached the apartment complex, she looked in her mirror and saw Scott park the car in the same spot he had before as she turned the corner to enter the parking area. After locking the bike, she headed up to her apartment.

“Took you long enough” he was leaned against the doorway, one leg crossed behind the other and arms crossed over his chest.

She rolled her eyes and pushed him lightly out of the way, unlocking the door.

They entered the apartment and Eddie headed for her bedroom to set down her bag, Scott directly behind her. She smiled and peered over her shoulder, likening his behaviour to that of his younger brother earlier today.

“I only got to see your living room last time” he commented as they rounded a corner.

Her bedroom was tidy and clean, mostly white furnishings around the room including the bed and pillows. She watched him as he reached her bedside table and took the wooden-framed picture that was propped up on the surface of the table, sitting down on the bed as he examined it.

“Your family?” he questioned

“Mhmm” she nodded in agreement, sitting down next to him. “Mum, Dad, Daniel, Tom and me on the end” she pointed at each of the figures in the picture. It was a photo that they had all been very fond of and she recalled the moment in which it was taken with great clarity.

It was Daniel’s wedding. 

Their mum had been set on making sure they all got a photo together and insisted on the location of it too – a funny little bench on the other side of the venue. They’d walked for a few minutes to actually get there, and when they did, she arranged them all as she envisioned, much to the surprise of the photographer that she’d also dragged along. Daniel sat in between Tom and Eddie, their parents standing behind them. Just as the photo was about to be taken, their normally reserved and polite father had slipped on a rock, almost fallen over, and shouted an expletive that she had never heard from him, causing the rest of them to burst into wild laughter. The photographer had captured the pure joy in that moment as they laughed, the photo showing them in their usual state of enjoying one another’s company.

Her heart ached as she remembered the moment, but she smiled at the positive memory that she cherished so dearly.

She stood from the bed and started towards the door, turning to watch Scott set the frame back on the table and join her before they both walked back to the living room with him a few paces behind. They stopped by the kitchen counter and he took her hands in his.

“I would love to stay longer, I really would” he smiled sadly as he spoke.

“It’s ok. I understand. You’ve still got to do your job” she stopped him before he could try and explain any further. 

“I’ll keep in touch and hopefully we can do this again really soon” he gripped her hands tighter, knowing that a goodbye was coming.

“I’d like that” she smiled at him “Please, just be safe, ok?” 

He smiled back at her “I’ll do my best”

“I’ll walk you back down” she let go of one of his hands and started for the door, twisting the handle.

They walked down the stairs and reached the main door, Scott’s sleek car visible through the large windows surrounding the foyer.

She turned to him and took both of his hands “Thank you. For everything” 

“We’ll be back together before you know it” he took one of his hands and dragged it over her jawbone before pulling her in for a slow, lingering kiss. As they parted, she pulled herself close to his chest and wrapped her arms around him, feeling him do the same. She heard his heartbeat through his shirt, its melodical and predictable rhythm calming.

They parted once more before Scott walked towards the door, placing a hand on it and pushing it open. He waved softly as he neared the car and stepped in, closing the door behind him but opening the passenger’s side window. He mouthed a kiss towards her, and she reached out and caught it with a hand before he began to drive. The loud roar of the car soon becoming a low, gentle hum in the distance.

She began to walk back to her apartment, immediately missing the feeling of holding his strong hand as they walked next to one another. As she reached the door once again and walked back into the body of the house, she yawned, suddenly realising the time difference made it much later in the day than it seemed. 

She needed to go to bed.

She switched off the lights in the lounge and hallway and pushed open the door to her bedroom.

A puzzled look spread across her face as she noticed a small package sitting on her bed. She walked closer and picked it up, turning and sitting down on the bed with the package in her lap. 

A beautiful blue wrapping paper covered the parcel, tied with a grey ribbon over the top. She pulled the ribbon off, slipped the paper from the surface of the package and opened up the box underneath. The box was much more shallow when she opened it, and she realised that there were two layers, separate by a piece of cardboard.

Sitting on the first layer was a small communicator that she recognised from the plane. A note stuck to the bottom of it read:

‘So we can have face to face conversations’

She smiled at the sentiment, then suddenly realised the piece of technology she was holding. There had been news about these, but they were never released to the public. The Tracy family must have some good connections to have these in their possession. She rolled her eyes with yet another realisation. They had Brains.

She set the communicator on the bedside table beside the photo frame and started pulling the cardboard divider from the box.

A large grin spread across her face as she laid eyes on the object sitting at the bottom.

A box of chocolate covered almonds.


End file.
